Darren Nicholson: “Man On A Mission” (2021) CD Review

Darren Nicholson is a singer, mandolin player and songwriter known for his work in the bluegrass band Balsam Range, of which he is a founding member. In September, Balsam Range released a new album, Moxie And Mettle, and just two months later Darren Nicholson put out a solo disc, an EP titled Man On A Mission. This EP features all original material, each of the tracks co-written by Darren Nicholson. Joining him on this release are David Johnson on acoustic guitar, banjo, dobro, steel guitar, harmonica, fiddle and cello; Tony Creasman on drums and percussion; Jeremy Medkiff on bass and electric guitar; and Jeff Collins on keyboards and piano. Audie Blaylock, Jennifer Nicholson and Leeda Lyric Jones provide backing vocals. If you are familiar with Darren Nicholson’s work with Balsam Range, you might be surprised by some of what you hear on this new disc.

The disc’s first track, “Love Is War,” begins with some sweet bluegrass sounds featuring fiddle and banjo, giving you the feeling it is going to suddenly kick in to become a fun bluegrass number, just as you might expect from this artist. The song soon does kick in, but takes a more surprising turn, becoming a lively country number. And it’s good. Darren Nicholson sings, “I’m willing to surrender to make a brand new start.” And then check out that instrumental section, that great back and forth between electric guitar and fiddle, perhaps like two people trying to work things out in a relationship. “Nobody ever wins, so let’s stop keeping score/Love, love is war, love is war/Let’s call a truce, I can’t take it anymore.” That’s followed by “Southern Ground,” which has a sweeter country vibe. “By the time you get back, well, I won’t be around/Because I’m headed home, home to southern ground.” It’s a song about wanting to head home to a simpler place. There is always something appealing about this idea – maybe not going south, but going home, resetting ourselves in a way, and forgetting worldly cares. And these days seem to call for some introspection. “Well, I look into the mirror and I don’t like the man I see.” This track features some nice harmonies.

“Them Hateful Woman Blues” is a lively, fun, humorous tune, one to get you up and on the dance floor. It features some excellent work on fiddle, and I love the way Jeff Collins rocks the piano. Yeah, this is like bluegrass rock and roll. And Darren Nicholson provides plenty of delicious stuff on mandolin, as well as an energetic vocal performance. “I’ve got a hateful woman who means the world to me/Well, that old hateful woman, she means the world to me.” I love the way he holds onto the word “world” there. Those first three songs were written by Darren Nicholson and Charles Humphrey III, and they are followed by “The Fool For You Is Me,” written by Darren Nicholson and Mark Bumgarner. This one has an easygoing country rhythm, with some nice stuff on steel guitar and a lot of great work on fiddle. “Just when I thought my troubles were no more/Just when I thought the pain was gone forever/The two of you came walking through the door.” Oh yes, country music is just right for expressing this sort of ache. “Not just the many lies that you have told me/But the ones I told to hide the way I feel/Still I’d take you back just like I did the last time.” Lines you can imagine Buck Owens writing.

Speaking of that ache, check out these lines, which begin “All Night Long”: “When you said goodbye/I swore I wouldn’t cry/Oh, but I did/All night long/How do I go on/In this awful world alone?” This song features what might be the best vocal performance on the album, and it also features David Johnson on cello. This is a beautiful, slow number that pulls you in and holds onto you. It was written by Darren Nicholson and Charles Humphrey III. The EP concludes with its title track, “Man On A Mission,” which has quite a different feel, featuring a good, solid groove and some soulful backing vocals. This one was written by Darren Nicholson and Eric Gibson. “Life’s not a competition,” Darren Nicholson sings here. The backing vocalist agrees, “No, it’s not.” And check out these lines: “Make a little fun of the human condition/I want to go out roaring and kicking.” Oh yes.

CD Track List

1. Love Is War
2. Southern Ground
3. Them Hateful Woman Blues
4. The Fool For You Is Me
5. All Night Long
6. Man On A Mission

Man On A Mission was released on November 26, 2021.