EP REVIEW: Canvas – Darko

DARKO cap off their conceptual EPs that started off with 2022’s Sparkle and 2024’s Greyscale now concludes with Canvas. The Surrey punk quintet have been touring for over ten years and have built up a loyal fanbase, performing in over forty countries. After their original frontman Dan Smith decided to stay in Australia after the pandemic, the band got Tom West from ALMEDIA to join them. Their song, The Ladder, divided long-time fans, brought in a new generation of listeners, and started an urgent conversation about misogyny in the punk scene. Now, with their most dynamic work to date, DARKO close out a bold chapter.

Canvas opens with Grey Havens, a mostly-acoustic driven introduction song that transitions into a full-blown instrumental song, complete with a rising tempo and backing vocals. It’s a unique start to the EP, and smoothly transitions into Dared To Dream, that lures the listener in gently before spitting in their face with a heavy punk sound. The fast-paced track goes a hundred-miles-a-minute, but just when it seems to threaten to fall into chaos, it’s pulled back up by a gentle acoustic bridge before descending into chaos again.

The title track is fast-paced and wears its grunge influences on its sleeve, whereas Override! is a guitar-driven rock song. Hectic delivers exactly what it says in the title: a fast-paced, hardcore song with guttural vocals. Although the fast-paced rock continues on Goodbye Bastards, what this EP does well is allowing each of the seven songs to have their own moment in the spotlight. Even though the closing song AUX III leans more into a grunge sound, it doesn’t ruin the pacing of the EP. In fact, it helps to even out the pacing.

Overall, Canvas is a fitting end to the trilogy by DARKO. Each song is an essential part of the puzzle, and the band sound more confident than ever. But what is most impressive is how each song sounds different from each other, yet manages to create a coherent listening experience. Even though the majority of Canvas has songs that are fast-paced, the runtime of the songs allows the songs to have the breathing space to make an impact on the listener. This might be the end of one chapter for DARKO, but it is also the start of an exciting new one as well.

Rating: 7/10

Canvas is out now via Lockjaw Records.

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