Kevin Drew’s Sweet “Darlings” Explores Romance

​Some music feels so exactly suited to a certain setting that it calls forth in the listener memories of a particular time and place. “Darlings,” the new solo album by Broken Social Scene lead Kevin Drew, fits solidly into this category. Simultaneously fun-loving and introspective, confident and intimate, “Darlings” evokes the carefree days and long, unhurried nights of summer.

"Darlings" is Drew’s second solo release, following 2007’s “Spirit If,” which earned praise for its catchy hooks, rich orchestration, and wonderfully earnest lyrics on love and longing. On “Spirit If,” songs like “Tbtf” and “When It Begins” spoke of infatuation, of the excitement and sense of breathless, boundless possibility contained in a first glimpse or touch. Other tracks focused on loss; “I really think we did the best we could,” Drew reassures on “Gang Bang Suicide.” On the whole, “Spirit If” was a refreshingly honest take on relationships and the ways they blossom, wither, and eventually end.

"Darlings" ​continues that trajectory, eschewing swagger and pretense to deliver a sweetly upbeat meditation on the trials of love in the modern age. Drew takes a frank approach to both the hollowness of emotional ties in today’s hookup culture and the shallowness with which those ties tend to be described. “Good Sex” is the immediate standout of the album, and the lyrics are as direct as the title would suggest. ​Over a steadily driving beat, Drew sings, “Good sex, it never makes you feel hollow / Good sex, it never makes you feel clean.” At first, the song seems to be a turn away from the romantic vulnerability of "Spirit If" to a brash, physical sexuality. ​Yet when the full instrumentation kicks in for the chorus (“But I’m still breathing with you, baby—I’m still breathing with you”), another message comes through: that despite the focused hypersexuality of this decade, in the end it’s all still about emotional connection.

This theme—searching for sincerity in a superficial world—continues throughout the album. “You Gotta Feel It,” another of the album’s high points, features soaring, worshipful choruses delivered through thick reverb, like a more existential Vampire Weekend. ​“My God,” the most stripped-down track on “Darlings,” is a slow, whispery burner with all the intimacy of a confessional. “My God, did you really give up?” Drew asks before sliding into a falsetto for the bridge, “Are you dreaming? What are you dreaming about now?” Throughout most of the song, Drew’s voice is set against only a metronome-like beat and a few piano chords. The simplicity is astonishing when compared to Broken Social Scene’s intricately layered productions, but it works. “It’s Cool” is similarly meditative, while “Body Butter” and “Bullshit Ballad” are more uptempo but still not overdone.

​Drew’s new aptitude for restraint shows itself throughout the entire aesthetic of the album. Setting aside any and all lyrical meaning or message, “Darlings” is simply thoroughly enjoyable music. The relative spareness of the arrangements allow touches of soul and blues to shine through, saving the record from synthy indie-rock anonymity and creating an effortlessly confident, relaxed tone. The songs alternate between bouncy and laid-back, but they share both a detached, irrepressible pleasantness and a belief in the inherent value of love. After the release of "Spirit If," Drew was heralded as a new iteration of the true romantic, but it is "Darlings," with its effortless mix of lightheartedness and gravity, that will cement that reputation.