B-Side Guys

Charlie Bishop’s “Mr. Darkness” erupts from the speakers like a dust storm on a lonely highway, blending gritty Americana with the raw confessional style of a late-night journal entry. This basement-brewed track showcases Bishop’s knack for turning introspection into a cinematic experience.

The song opens with a timestamp – “93 3am” – immediately grounding listeners in a specific, visceral moment. Bishop’s gravelly vocals paint Mr. Darkness as both companion and antagonist, a “loyal steed” with a “shotgun leather” exterior. This personification of inner turmoil gives the song a mythic quality, as if Bishop is wrestling with his own personal demon on a midnight drive.

Musically, “Mr. Darkness” treads the line between folk intimacy and rock urgency. The driving rhythm mimics the pulse of tires on asphalt, while the instrumentation builds in intensity, mirroring the narrator’s growing desperation to outrun his shadows. Bishop’s DIY approach lends an unvarnished authenticity to the track, each rough edge a reminder of the song’s homegrown roots.

The lyrics oscillate between dependency and defiance, with lines like “You’re the only friend to me” giving way to “You have no place with me.” This internal struggle forms the emotional core of the song, capturing the push-pull relationship many have with their darkest impulses. The inclusion of the “Plastic Jesus” on the dashboard adds a touch of irony, highlighting the futility of seeking easy salvation.

“Mr. Darkness” serves as a powerful calling card for Charlie Bishop’s brand of introspective Americana. It’s a song that doesn’t just tell a story – it creates a world, inviting listeners to ride shotgun on a harrowing journey through the night. As the final plea to banish the darkness fades out, we’re left wondering if the sun will rise, or if this midnight drive is destined to loop endlessly, a purgatory of Bishop’s own making.