Operating on the principle that anything worth saying is worth taking a long time to say, Del Rey’s 51-minute, seven-song second album, Darkness & Distance, is an expansive, mind-altering rock disc sure to delight head-trippers burnt out on Dark Side of the Moon. More than just a newgazer band on Darkness & Distance, this instrumental four-piece’s set opener, “Asimov,” twists and turns as Santana-inspired percussion collides with the guitar washes of Spacemen 3. At times, Damien Burke, Brendan Daly, Eben English, and Michael Johnson’s music seems to wander, but tracks like “Dust Huntress” and “Dual Sun System” are never aimless, always managing to find their way back to the same riffs that first set them adrift. “Staph & Strep” is another musical rocket ride, evoking strains of classic Rush, modern jazz, and the simplicity of the Strokes in a journey-filled eight minutes. Del Rey’s music may not be immediate, but listeners with the patience to let it take flight should find themselves repeatedly drawn to its depth and innovation. – John D. Luerssen