New Music: Allo Darlin’ – ‘Darren’

photo by David Greenwald

For its first few bars, “Darren” offers a heavier new look for U.K. twee-pop act Allo Darlin’, all sharp hand percussion and a lead guitar with as much bottom as Cee Lo. But it promptly, happily breezes into the band’s usual brand of melancholy pop, that lead tone the only sign that anything’s changed since last year’s excellent debut. The song’s title is a nod to Darren Hayman, the former Hefner frontman, a musician whose catalog probably deserves a few more odes to “listening to Darren.” (The tribute continues on the single’s b-side, a cover of his The French track “Wu Tang Clan.”)

(The Darren 7″ is due August 22; pre-order it on Bandcamp)

Previously: Videos: Allo Darlin’ – “Europe,” “Neil Armstrong” | Live at the Echo, 10.25.10