Search - Darby Darl :: Ghosts & Angels

Honest. Open. Universal.

Dave Butler | USA | 11/09/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As honest an album as I've heard in years. Superb lyrics. Distinct vocalization. Quality instrumentation. Ghosts & Angles spans genres and generations. By far, my favorite album of the year."

Relates to everyone.

Mike Ellison | 03/31/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ghost and Angels is a great CD. If you like Stevie Ray, Clapton, Springsteen, or Nugent you will love Darbie Darl. It is refreshing that there is an artist that still knows true Rock N Roll."

Comparisons abound!

Stan Xhiao | Frisco, TX USA | 06/01/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's unfortunate, but understandable, that reviewers of Darby Darl resort to comparing him with other, better-known musicians. Unfortunate because he deserves to be judged on his own merits, understandable because his music sounds so familiar.



The first time I listened to Ghosts & Angels I was struck by its easy familiarity. Here were songs I've heard hundreds of times on the radio--ballads by Petty, early snark from Stewart, lamentations according to Costello. I had to check the liner notes to make sure that the songs were originals and, you betcha, they are.



Darby has a gift for writing tunes that are instantly accessible and use the universally understood emotional conventions in both lyrics and music. However--bonus--his songs, although familiar, are at the same time unique. It's easy to compare him to Vaughn, Clapton and Earle, but you'd never *mistake* Darby for one of them. He's crafted a unique voice from a myriad of influences and, judging by his lyrics, a bit of being beaten about by life. So to the reviewer who called this album "...brooding Americana," I suggest you go listen to Jandek for a week or so and get back to us.



Every tune on the disc is well-crafted, not a clinker among them. The only reservation I have about the work is that the arrangements sound too alike, toning down the emotional arc of the album as a whole. But this is most likely a product of limited budget, certainly not limited skill."