Darlingside

Heard often on WXPN, Darlingside has long been praised for their harmonies and intelligent songwriting, described by NPR as “exquisitely arranged, literary-minded, baroque folk pop,” and their dynamic presence (crowded tightly together on stage) have made them a live-performance favorite.

Their newest album, “Fish Pond Fish,” showcases their broader storytelling abilities: nature is a looking glass, the songs suggest, with tracks like Ocean Bed, Green + Evergreen, Mountain + Sea, and Crystal Caving making metaphors of their titles.

If Darlingside’s first album, “Birds Say” (2015), focused on the past through nostalgia, and their second, “Extralife” (2018), contemplated uncertain futures, “Fish Pond Fish” stands firmly in the present, looking at what’s here, now.

Dave Senft, Don Mitchell, Auyon Mukharji, and Harris Paseltiner have created a natural history in song—taking us into gardens, almond groves, orchard rows, down to the ocean floor and under stars.