The Band Camino - "The Dark"
The cover art illustrates the amount of darkness this album contains
The Band Camino is a young Electro-Pop-Rock band originally formed in Memphis, TN in 2015. Their sound isn’t dissimilar from The Chainsmokers, except they don’t pretend to be gritty, so add in some YA orientation, similar to Sheppard, and you’ve pretty much got TBC’s sound nailed down.
Yes, it’s fairly simple, especially when described like that, but their music is consistently positive and vibey. Even when dealing with heavier topics, as in “It’s You (It’s You)”, there’s no weight in their compositions. And there is more than enough going on in each song to make them legitimately enjoyable listens.
The Dark is their sophomore album, and it shows that the group hasn’t lost any of their talent or energy in the last two years. However, it also doesn’t illustrate any significant steps forward. The title feels mostly ironic, especially with the cover being all-white. And only one of the eleven tracks here hits the three-minute mark.
Title track “Afraid of the Dark” does prove to be one of the best tracks on the album, in part because there are layers to the song within its composition. It’s bright and poppy on the surface, but with a mournful, emotional undertone in the synthwork that really illustrates the potential I’ve been watching in this specific group. I’m optimistic that, as they age, they could really evolve into something special.
For now, The Dark is a good effort. If you’re looking for some good Pop Rock or Electropop to fill some lighter, upbeat playlists, you should be able to grab at least several tracks from this one.
Rating: Green