Darden Smith,
Field of Crows



Label: Dualtone Records

(4½ out of 5)

Although it's only January, the year already is marked with milestones for Darden Smith. He's celebrating his 20th year as a professional musician by releasing his 10th album, Field of Crows — a marvelously mellow masterpiece that reinforces Smith's place as one of our most endearingly sensitive singer/songwriters.

"Mary" (listen) stands out as the song most emblematic of his tender artistry. Here Smith pairs a lovely, dream-like melody with gorgeous lyrics about a divorced/separated father preparing his daughter for her mother's wedding day: Wake up, wake up little Mary / There is no time to play / Cause it's your mother's wedding day / Yes I'll always be your father, no your name won't change / And you will always have this room that will stay the same.

The subtle funk of "Spinning Wheel" (listen) marks another focal point, as does the world-weary, muted yawp of "Field of Crows" (listen): Damn the sky so blue / The more that I see clear, the more that I'm confused / Everything I know / Is always in the way of some direction I should go / Watching as my world spins out of control.

Fellow Austinite Eliza Gilkyson lends beautiful vocal support to "Golden Age" (listen) and "Fight for Love" (listen), highlighted by an extended wordless vocal exchange that closes the song.

While these songs manage to rise above the rest, it's a difference of degrees. It's hard to pinpoint any emotionally high or low points on the album.

Each of the dozen tracks proceeds at basically the same even-keeled tempo, with Smith's voice rarely rising above a loud whisper. It's not as if he sings without feeling; instead, each song is suffused with the understated passion of an artist proud of all his creations.

Field of Crows reflects the human struggle to make sense of the sometimes mystifying world around us. It's an exquisite, empathetic statement that crowns Darden Smith's career thus far.

January 27, 2006