Darden Smith,
Circo

Label: Dualtone
Year: 2004

(3½ out of 5)

With British folk/pop artist David Gray (White Ladder, New Day at Midnight) rising high up the U.S. charts the last few years, perhaps it's finally time for Darden Smith to catch a wave of popularity too. The Manchester and Austin singer/songwriters share a similar sound and a similarly introspective, moody, lyric-heavy outlook on life. Circo, Smith's second release on Dualtone, just might be the album to raise his national profile.

"Make Love So Hard," with Kim Richey sharing songwriting and vocal credits, is the most radio-friendly track on the album. If John Mayer could score a Grammy with "Your Body Is a Wonderland," then programmers should be able to find room on their playlists for Smith's much more literate and mature look at the dual-edged nature of intimacy.

There are two real highlights on the album: "Mill Creek" and "Late Train to London." The former captures the eeriness of adult reflections on a favorite, dangerous childhood hideout: One day I was climbin' in the railroad trestle / I heard the sound of a comin' train / And man it was on me like rollin' thunder / Lit a fear inside I can't explain. The latter, with backing vocals from Shawn Colvin and a chilling string arrangement, lends a voyeuristic ear to private conversations in public places.

Several tracks are comparatively poor contributions, and while I have nothing against religion or religious themes in music, each of the weakest links includes a spiritual theme. The overt religion of "One Hundred Ways" seems out of place in an album where subtlety is the norm, and the song's instrumental arrangement sounds like little more than a drum kit. The lyrics in "Hands on the Wheel" are too simplistic and trite for a Darden Smith album: So go with God and take care / Keep your head out there / Baby keep your hands on the wheel. Both "God Loves a River" (God loves a river even if that river never hits the sea) and "Rise" (Watch me rise above / Restin', oh restin', in His love) seem better suited for church choirs than a folksy singer/songwriter.

Even with those weaker tracks, the album remains a simple, almost easy-listening pleasure. Circo is perfect for a long car ride or to help you mentally detox on the way home from work. And with at least as many standout songs as clunkers—plus guest appearances by Richey, Colvin, Lloyd Maines, and others—it just might be the production that helps Smith steal away some of the accolades and sales amassed by David Gray.

Buy: Lone Star Music, Amazon

August 1, 2004