Darryl Purpose Takes Flight With Still The Birds
Darryl Purpose has pursued his career as a tireless troubadour for quite some time, wining over a small but dedicated fan following in the process. His songs are deceptively easy and agreeable, but the tales of angst and uncertainty borne by their lyrics often brings a deceptive calm that moots the pleasantries and gives hint of a deeper purpose, both literally and figuratively. His voice carries a remarkable similarity to that of James Taylor, adding emphasis to the more agreeable elements of his style. On his new album, Still the Birds, Purpose shows both traits in abundance, creating a contrast that finds a breezy stroll of a song like “The Nearness of You (Red Garland)” shining in stark contrast to the track that precedes it, “Hours In a Day,” in which he describes a disgruntled postal worker “With a gun gone berserk” and ready to take out his wrath for “fifteen minutes in the sun.” Then there’s the song that follows, “The Meaning of My Love,” a duet sung with Eliza Gilkyson, another of the album’s highlights along with the somber Civil War epic “Shiloh.” In fact, there’s no end to the superior songs and equally adept performances, a combined bounty that’s more than capable of taking Purpose out of the shadows and soaring like those birds he name-checks in the title.