Love Darling Vs. Yeah Yeah Yeahs

posted in: Features • Rock

In rock and roll, the term “frontman’ is used to describe the lead singer of a band. While it might seem a bit sexist, the fact of the matter is that most stars in the history of rock and roll have been men. However, every once in awhile there comes a band with a great “frontwoman”; a woman who brings a unique personality and energy to her band that just can’t be duplicated by a man. Women like Debbie Harry of Blondie, Gwen Stefani of No Doubt and Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs are all big time rockstars who steal the show from the male counterparts in their bands. And with this in mind, our latest edition of Vs. brings you a band with a great frontwoman, Love Darling, as they face off against their contemporaries Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Love Darling’s lead singer and guitarist is Shay Magro. The band covers a wide array of genres including everything from electro-pop to hard rock. “Last Chance” is a great introduction to the band’s sound. This song features a lot of the aspects that made Yeah Yeah Yeahs so successful: fast tempos, raw and powerful guitar riffs and of course a frantically energetic frontwoman. On their most recent album, Yeah Yeah Yeahs made synthesizers a much larger part of their sound, and Love Darling don’t shy away from the synths either. On “U Can Be Perfect”, the band uses a synthesizer to play the melody while the guitar provides rhythm. However, the real star of this song is the drums, which mix power and precision to provide a driving force for the whole song. Synths are used again in the slow burning track “Forget This Part.” The song starts off with a slow but dramatic drumbeat and eerie synthesizer chords. The song slowly builds momentum with the addition of piano and guitar, until ultimately reaching an epic and powerful ending.

Of course, Love Darling know how to turn down the volume and go acoustic too. Their song “This Time” pairs an acoustic guitar melody with hand percussion, glockenspiel and string arrangements to create a much more delicate song. Instead of the frantic energy Magro brings to other Love Darling songs, “This Time” features smooth and soulful vocals. “Dust In My Pocket” is another soft acoustic ballad that draws in some influences from folk music. Whether the band is rocking out hard or playing soft and reserved, the focus of their songs is always on Magro’s vocals. She has the range, energy and talent to be able to shine in a number of different genres and styles, which is what makes Love Darling such an exciting band to listen to.

You can preorder Love Darling’s new album, The Occupant Theory, on their Web site.

Know an OurStage artist that can give a mainstream one a run for their money? Let us know in the comments!