Search - Darden Smith :: Native Soil

Almost the best

Thomas MacKay | Liberty Hill, TX USA | 02/24/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Darden began playing little venues in and around Austin, TX. with a sized down band or solo acoustic guitar. The newer CD's are over-produced mainstream sound with Darden back there somewhere trying to be heard. This CD is like Darden live in one of those little bars where he still comes to share his good humor and stories of life with those of us fortunate enough to hear them. If you buy only one Darden CD make it this one - and catch him live if you ever have a chance."

Neat first album from Darden

A. Butterfield | UK | 06/15/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It says something for Darden Smith back in his younger days that he could get Nanci Griffith and Lyle Lovett to guest on vocals - on his first album!
It's not hard to see why they would though. This is really a first album from a young guy? Darden has such an ear for a distinctive melody and a curious lyric, that each of these songs becomes your friend after just a few listens. "Two Dollar Novels" is an especially fine song. So good in fact, that I'm always surprised Nanci Griffith didn't record it for herself.
There's a great maturity to the writing in these songs that sits at odds occasionally with the sparkling production and Darden's youngest voice, but actually it all hangs together pretty well.
Darden I think inspires you to want all of his albums, so if you've got others, you just have to have this."