Customer Reviews

Circo

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Just about every review of Smith begins by mentioning how difficult his music is to classify. This one's no exception. Though he was reared in Austin, and his earlier work had a dustier flavor, his later albums are a more sophisticated mix of folk, country, soul and jazz. It's a sophisticated slot, filled with singer-songwriters like Lyle Lovett, Nick Drake, and earlier works by Tom Waits, or in past decades, Joni Mitchell or Cat Stevens. A good sense of Smith's habitat can be found in a guest list that includes Jim Lauderdale, Lloyd Maines, Kim Richey, Suzzy Roche, and Shawn Colvin.

Smith's background in country music is evident in pedal steel or harmonica outlines, but the vocals and production lean to more crafted and polished adult contemporary pop, akin to the work of one-time Haircut 100 vocalist Nick Heyward. The arrangements are clever, but never overwhelm the lyrics, with whispery vocals and harmonies, and soulful touches of Wurlitzer and Hammond B3 that create deep atmosphere. Percussive numbers, like "One Hundred Ways," keep their beat at mid-tempo, adding accordion to the more regular piano-drums-guitar. It's an inventive and eclectic mix.

Smith writes similarly sophisticated lyrics, contemplating the intertwining of plan and fate, and how detours can unfold into opportunity. There's a strong streak of fatalism, but without the hopelessness that is often its accomplice, Smith retains an optimist's view of chance. The contemplative grooves with which he's orchestrated his intellectual and spiritual wanderings position this equally well for private foreground introspection or background fill.

Darden Smith's "Circo" is an amazing song cycle, a wonderful achievement. Prior to this, "Deep Fantastic Blue" was my favorite of his albums. "Circo" is less obvious, certainly mellower. One sign of a great CD is when different reviewers pick different tracks as their favorites. One professional reviewer picked "Shooting Star" and "Mill Creek" as the best.

For me the spiritually-oriented songs are his greatest achievements. Some music lovers become threatened by spirituality, thinking that someone may try to hit them over the head with their religion. While my deepest religious reflections have been most inspired by the teachings of The Urantia Book, I'm also at home as a Methodist, and certainly find a kindred spirit in Darden Smith's newest release. For me, the greatest of the 3 spirit song tracks is "Rise." Lloyd Maines' pedal steel gives a subtle country touch to Darden's mellow acoustic guitar and the calming confidence of his vocals, "See me as a boy safe beside my father, see my father say when he was a boy, 'Time marches on, the wheel is always turning,' watch me rise, watch me rise above, resting in His love." This is a song whose appeal will span generations. The next of my favorites is the perky "God Loves A River" with its soft-shoe beat and the melody's quiet shuffle that for me emphasizes how, in a spiritual sense, what we try to do is more important than what we actually accomplish, "Fairy tales to rummage sales, we all love a dream, life is so damn messy, love is so unclean, you cannot hold a hand that is a thousand miles away, best to let it go, the reasons we may never know, God loves a river even if that river never hits the sea." "One Hundred Ways" sounds like a pop march with Michael Ramos' accordion adding a sweet musical spice, "It's an endless song that makes a holy sound... My God & your God, they're one & the same, they sit around talking as friends, laugh at the sunset, cry at the moon." Of the love songs, my favorite is "Make Love So Hard" with Kim Richey joining on vocals in a tune about how sometimes two people need to work at their love relationship. The song has as much practical wisdom as its melody is musically delightful. "Shooting Star" is also sweet with Smith's buddy Boo Hewerdine joining on vocals in a softly swaying tune. "Mill Creek" has bit darker melody and is a ballad that brings to mind Tony Joe White, "Sent me running, sent me screaming, like a wild man through the tall grass." All of the tracks on "Circo" are distinctive. Smith is at the top of his game as a songwriter and gives just enough musical support and flourishes to express rather than overpower these fragile melodies. Bravo!

Great set of new Darden Smith songs, but this one has
it all. Yeah, I suppose you could do the dishes with this music(as the big Darden Smith fan writes in a review previously) some Darden Smith fan!
I prefer to drive my car alone with the sound up loud and
let this music go right through me, I can relate to much of
what darden has to say and I like the spiritual side as well,
after what happened 9/11 people just look inward at times,
its nice to see Darden reflecting about life, love, a future? This music just gets under your skin,(you need to listen to
it for awhile, it is more than special and with his voice
driving these numbers along you couldn't ask for anything
more out of an artist with this much class. WOW everything
about this sleeper classic is right on, CIRCO has some
great grooves!! I hope this music finds an audience as it
deserves to be heard.

This is by far the best I've heard from Darden Smith. I
thought SUNFLOWER and LITTLE VICTORIES were excellent with so many great songs on each cd but this
new one from start to finish is so quietly powerful, full
of atmosphere and the most beautifully arranged and sung songs.
I keep playing this all through the day, so many favorites
and I'm still finding more and more to love about this 5 star
masterpiece. I put the head phones on not to miss anything in all that is going on. Dardens vocals just breath out his sensuality and placing Kim
Richey on "Make love so hard" is a perfect blending of voices like I haven't
heard in years. Nice twist of phrase to this song, this should
be getting airplay everywhere????????? Shawn Colvin also sounds just perfect along side
Dardens smooth, quietly affecting singing. The music, production
lyrics all flow together seamlessly, this has to be one of
the BEST song selections on any release in quite some time.
Darden has lightened up some but this type of music demands you
listen and take it all in. Can't say enough about this winner!
This is Darden Smith's masterpiece!

I my CD of Circo by accident.. but after playing it, I really enjoyed the music on it. So I ordered another copy for a friend. I think it would appeal to the 20s age group as well as the 50s.

First i should have written this review last year when this Cd was released better late than never i say, folk's Radio just doesn't get i have all of dardens music this Cd is a real gem if you consider youself a so called country music guru and you do not have darden in you collection then there's a problem you cannot always rely on radio for great music you have to listen outside of the we tell you what to listen too mentality stations for yourself and ask your friends and people who really like quality music for their input you will get a big surprise this Cd is a must have, Now i really do not put Darden in the country music category, but this music will blow the doors off some of the so called big stars that grace the airwaves these days in short country music that is prime great A listening all the way through entire CD,i'll bet you will end up getting all of darden smith's Cd i did you will not be sorry

I could pretend that all the songs are as good as "Make Love So Hard", "Turning to You" and "Late Train to London". If only they were! Then we'd have another Sunflower on our hands. "Make Love So Hard" is a simple but perfect pop song. "Turning to You" is a proper Darden Smith song. "Late Train to London" is clever, intricate, atmospheric and moving; I love the way Darden's vocals connect with the bounce of the violin in the bridge part.
"Mill Creek" is pretty good too, but I'm not sure how it fits on this album. It feels to be from another place.
Truth is that the album starts off weakly with the rather lightweight and unimaginatively arranged "What Are We Gonna Do". It's a bit of a nothing song. "Shooting Star" is in a similar vein. Pleasant enough I suppose. But then it gets scary. "One Hundred Ways" is horrible: uptempo in a Casio keyboard sort of way, a bit too jolly, too worthy, like something you'd sing in a church group. "Hands on the Wheel" has an equally silly arrangement, and the awful line, "So go with God..." Do what? No, no. The next track has a seductive swing to it, but there's more God, and we run straight into "Rise" which is another churchy one.
"Circo" sounds okay if you stick it on while you're doing the dishes, but I expect so much more from Darden Smith. It must be middle age, or fatherhood or something that's turned Darden a bit woolly on "Circo". I want the old Darden back please.