I'm so glad dark mopey music is back in fashion again. That sounds so dorky to say, but as a person who claims the Smiths as her all-time favorite band, I was beginning to miss the melancholy that fueled my life as a young person. With bands like the Arcade Fire, Interpol and even Yo La Tengo and The Beta Band not afraid to enter into dark realms and moody corners, I was starting to feel that not everything was Mandy Moore and American Idol. Another band to add to the list is The Prids from Portland, Oregon. Their 10-song second album combines subdued vocals with powerful instrumentation and melodies that appeal to your emotional core. While the meaning of their lyrics may confound, the tone and sentiment is clear in each song. Standouts are "The Glow" which drives a brisk pace without seeming hurried or "upbeat", "Like Hearts" is punctuated by a bittersweet guitar riff, and "Beautiful We Are" pairs both vocalists Mistina Keith and David Frederickson in a song that sounds not like a duet but more a multi-vocal haunting. The last song will especially appeal to Arcade Fire fans. The Prids are currently on tour. You can catch up with them at their MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/theprids . There you can also check out their hilarious video for "Let it Go."