Dark Lark is definitely not gonna win any awards for optimism. In fact, Colleen Collins and David Trenaman’s fifth album is sometimes downright terrifying, but in a good way. The album starts things off with the off-kilter, post-apocalyptic-western track “Sick Again,” where Trenaman channels Will Oldham through four brief couplets completely devoid of hope. One of the best tracks on the record is “Cato,” which references Cato the Younger reading Phaedo on the night of his death by self-disembowelment (which the lyrics sheet conveniently told me, thanks!). It’s essentially a rollicking rock tune, but the lyrics give it an extra weight and power. Actually, having the lyrics on hand to get into this album is great, because they’re refreshingly and strangely, stiltedly poetic. They also use some interesting words I don’t know (like “dockled”). A couple other highlights include the sludgy, noise-filled “The Horse Returns,” a slow, head-banging screechfest, and “Crow,” which is probably the most soul-crushing portrait of a broken home I’ve ever heard. And while the darkness doesn’t really let up on this record, the closing track, “The New Puritans,” is an awesome slice of straight up, badass riff-rock, complete with dead-simple, foot-stomping drums and Collins’ fragile-yet-powerful, otherwordly wail. A good album to sip whiskey to alone in the dark while you slink into an autumn depression. In the woods. (Quarantine Music, constructionanddestruction.bandcamp.com) Matt Williams