“Yet no matter how rich the words or minutiae – this band’s sound palette, if you will, contains the entire spectrum of melancholic bliss – it’s the album as a whole that’ll follow you into your dreams, tempting you toward mystery, accreting obsessions every step of the way while shedding them at the same rate. Which, we feel, is the point with Darkswoon and explains from the inside out the extraordinary balance they manage, constantly on the verge of pitching into the abyss while steadfastly maintaining their footing. It’s where we always find them, on that daunting emotional fulcrum, teasing out tension with a mission-like seriousness – Darkswoon do many things but fucking around isn’t one of them – all the while never swerving from their purpose as musicians, their songs, those songs’ melodies, forever luring us into the world to be swirled up in a mix of confusion, love, loss, fear, despair, hope and a version of joy touched by each of those. From that perspective, Bloom Decay isn’t just a success, it’s a revelation.” - Dave Cantrell, Stereo Embers Magazine, “Back Into that Enchantedly Troubled Landscape – ‘Bloom Decay’ from Portland’s Darkswoon” - October 2022

“Superbly produced and, altogether, extremely evocative…” Destroy/Exist

“Synthpop grace, coupled with shoegaze wisps and emotion-filled vocals…” Onyx Music Reviews

“The potent driving beat (smashed and wonderfully distorted), the clean and dirty textures of synths, the dominant bass with subtle slippery shapes and Jana Cushman's vocal countenance, bruised and boldy passionate will put you in a dark headspace, ready to do combat. The blend of post-punk artistry and heavy Goth pop adornments feel emotionally pushed and stirred with layers of industrial punk, post-hardcore and shoegaze.” American Pancake

“The Portland trio Darkswoon bears their name very well, as their indie rock with their electronic framework and intelligent choruses carries within it that touch of intimate darkness, that little something disturbing contained in a sentence such as "My body's not mine ", chanted on the impeccable first single "Eaten By Wolves" from his new album, "Bloom Decay". Jana Cushman's guitar and remarkable vocals are carried by a deceptively retro, raw and mechanical drum machine, supported by Rachel Ellis' discreet synths and backed by Norah Lynn's bass. Since their debut in 2015, Darkswoon has shaped a sonic spectrum with multiple possibilities: the guitar blasts Killing Joke style on "This Is A Void", is airy on the second single "Year Of The Rat", expresses its rage on "Under Glass ", or even plays it sparingly on the title "Bloom Decay" which opens and baptizes this disc which is an absolute success. As for the production, she was able to offer these unique songs the depth they deserved, by taming this profusion of energy on edge, while retaining the raw and wild spark of passion, the one that illuminates the very heart of ‘Bloom Decay’”. - Bertrand Hamonou, Premonition

”Synthpop charm mixed with ethereal darkwave sounds, dreampop sensibilities and heartfelt vocals…” Darkenin Heart

“While in some quarters the sound in which Darkswoon trade has been dubbed electronic shoegaze, if a genre tag must be applied we prefer the one found next to their name on Discogs: elektrohaze, as what one hears here in terms of atmosphere isn’t so much in thrall to the late 20th C.’s glacial sheets of reverb but rather the moody dynamics of concerted songcraft as might have been expected from PJ Harvey had she emerged in 1982 instead of a decade later, the ‘elektro’ in which case speaking for itself, the ‘haze’ deriving from the pulsating, dark emotive textures echoing back across the channel from Berlin at the time. All speculative rhetoric aside, however (and anyway Darkswoon’s name basically is their genre), Bind, contemplative in the main but fully capable of convincing with force when necessary, is at the very least forty-three of the most immersive minutes you’re likely to spend under headphones this year.” - Dave Cantrell, Stereo Embers Magazine

"The album channels both fierce electronic prowess and shoegaze-inspired guitar textures, centered by vocalist Jana Cushman’s croon, Rachel Ellis’ evocative synth lines, and Andrew Michael Potter’s pulsing bass. As such, the band channels both the detached chill of early Fever Ray and Eurythmics as well as the churning menace of Modern English."

"...both incredibly powerful and irresistibly catchy at once." -- Frank Deserto, Post-Punk.com

“Darkswoon’s latest full-length, ‘Bind’, represents a quantum leap in their sound. Fans of austere electronic acts like The Knife, Austra, and Eurythmics will find the mechanical precision of their synth leads and drum grooves addicting while followers of blissed-out guitar pop are sure to be delighted with the ambience Cushman invokes with her ethereal vocals and blurry guitar lines.” Pete Cottell, Willamette Week

“The range of moods and styles expressed on BIND‘s eight tracks is impressive, as each represents a distinct direction and set of influences but manage a consistent voice that’s uniquely Darkswoon. Equally suited for late-night headphone sessions and dancing in the fog-drenched environs of your local goth club.” Eric Sorenson, Igloo Magazine