REVIEW: The Pendulum Swings, Spill Magazine

July 9, 2026 | Spill New Music

DEARDARKHEAD – THE PENDULUM SWINGS

A SPILL EXCLUSIVE ALBUM PREMIERE

After 26 years between full-length releases, New Jersey instrumental alternative rock trio Deardarkhead return with The Pendulum Swings, a ten-track album released through their independent label, Fertile Crescent Records. Taking their name from Samuel Ferguson’s 1867 Irish poem Cean Dubh Dilis, Deardarkhead have spent nearly four decades developing a distinctive guitar-driven sound that blends dream pop, shoegaze, psychedelic rock and post-punk influences into expansive instrumental compositions.

One of New Jersey’s most compelling underground acts, Deardarkhead have spent nearly four decades forging an original sound, attested to by the glowing reviews that have come in for the album’s first two singles. “The Pendulum Swings” confirms their enduring creative power and marks a stunning return – an immersive, beautifully crafted statement from a band still capable of true sonic wonder.

With The Pendulum Swings, Deardarkhead deliver a remarkable return that feels both deeply considered and effortlessly assured. The album captures a band at the height of its creative powers, combining shimmering guitars, hypnotic rhythms and richly layered arrangements into a powerful, immersive listen. Balancing atmosphere, melody and emotional intensity, the record stands as a defining statement from a group whose vision and musicianship have only grown stronger with time.

Recorded at Miner Street Recordings in Philadelphia, this album was produced, engineered and mixed by Brian McTear and Amy Morrissey (The War on Drugs, Kurt Vile, Sharon Van Etten) and mastered by Grammy-nominated engineer Joe Lambert (Animal Collective, Blonde Redhead, Beach House, M83, Wild Nothing).

Formed in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1988, Deardarkhead features guitarist Kevin Harrington, drummer Robert Weiss and bassist James Malizia, who joined the band after the album was completed, replacing Brandon Howard. Since becoming an instrumental outfit in 2009 following the departure of vocalist Michael Amper, the trio has focused on creating expansive compositions driven by melody, texture and dynamic interplay.

The album brings together material written across different periods of the band’s history while maintaining a remarkable sense of cohesion. The Pendulum Swings expands Deardarkhead’s approach through adventurous arrangements featuring drum loops, unconventional time signatures, keyboard textures, ebow, bass VI and layered guitar work. The closing title track serves as a fitting reflection on the band’s journey, capturing the themes of change, growth and renewal that run throughout the record.

Lead singles “Letting Go” and “In Another Life” provide a compelling introduction to the album’s emotional range. Featuring atmospheric keyboards from Joe McGinty (The Psychedelic Furs, Nada Surf, Deborah Harry), “Letting Go” explores transformation and moving forward through shimmering melodies and immersive textures. “In Another Life” follows with a more introspective feel, pairing crystalline guitar lines, melodic bass and hypnotic rhythms while reflecting on alternate paths and possibilities. Together, the tracks showcase the depth, precision and emotional pull that define The Pendulum Swings.

In their time, Deardarkhead have built a respected legacy within the alternative music underground, sharing stages with Supergrass, The Psychedelic Furs, Everclear, Nothing and The Lilys. Their debut album, Unlock the Valves of Feeling, was released through Fertile Crescent Records in 1998, followed by Captured Tracks’ retrospective Oceanside: 1991–1993 in 2011 as part of its Shoegaze Archives series. The band returned in 2016 with the acclaimed Strange Weather EP on Saint Marie Records.

With The Pendulum Swings, Deardarkhead deliver more than a long-awaited return. This is a confident and inspired new chapter from a band whose creative momentum remains as strong as ever. This impressive album is now available on CD, digitally, and 180-gram vinyl. On July 16, Deardarkhead’s record release show is at the Anchor Rock Club in Atlantic City, NJ, supported by Bitter Bitter Weeks, The Falling Out and DJ Bob Portella.

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