Local Sounds (6)

Darling Waste • The Truth About Lies--

Darling Waste's self-produced disc is dark, moody and inspired. "The Truth About Lies..." opens with nearly two minutes of mellow piano before a lone acoustic guitar introduces the wounded opener "Drive Away." Frontman Lance Williams, who sings and plays acoustic guitar, bass and piano on this 74-minute effort, ably unleashes waves of distortion ("Faerie Under Finger") and tinkers with clinks, whirs and blown-out vocals ("Some Comfort Here") while consistently staying true to the piano-dusted, acoustic-based rock that is the center of this gritty and overall impressive debut. www.darlingwaste.com

Syzygy • The Allegory of Light

Progressive rock is a curious thing. Its intricacy is astounding, but the songs can often seem impenetrable to fans of more traditional, three-chord fare. Devotees of King Crimson, Jethro Tull and Yes will find something at which to marvel on "The Allegory of Light." Similar to their prog-rock influences, Syzygy's eight-song album is filled with musicianship honed to a sharp edge. The 63-minute disc consists largely of epic instrumental compositions (only three songs have lyrics and three stretch past 11 minutes in length) that meld acoustic guitars, keyboards, drums, bass and even flute into a sonic ride sure to impress music fans who like their rock served with a side of complexity. www.syzygymusic.com