This album grabbed me from the initial moments of its opening track, “The Darkest Light,” the title track. This song is haunting and captivating from those first lines, “I dare you, look inside your heart/Prepare to look inside your soul/It’s dark, I know/But underneath is light.” It is not just those lines and her delivery, but her work on piano as well which holds us. Plus, this track features some beautiful work on cello, an instrument that I love. Jack Craft plays cello here. Dave Easley adds some excellent work on pedal steel, helping to create a strong atmosphere. These sounds work so well together. “Each time you look inside, you will be stronger/You will believe.” That’s followed by “Fear And Love.” Her voice seems to come to us from across the dusty plains, across empty highways, reaching us in the half-light to offer guidance, compassion, a gentle hand, which we willingly accept. I love that work on percussion, supporting her voice. Jamison Ross is on drums. And Art Teitel delivers some really nice work on guitar. “I am dark, I am light/I am loneliness in the middle of the night/I am one, I am all/I am solid ground here to break your fall.” And as she sings “On the other side of fear is love,” I am reminded of one of my favorite Leonard Cohen songs, “Heart With No Companion,” which begins with the lines, “Now I greet you from the other side of sorrow and despair/With a love so vast and shattered it will reach you everywhere.” For those folks who feel steeped in fear these days, and I guess there are many, this song will deliver a needed comfort.
At the beginning of “Where Do I Belong,” Sara Syms asks, “Where do I belong, where is my place/Out on a ledge, in this open space,” lines that are particularly effective in these uncertain times. “I lie awake and wonder why/My heart feels the way it does deep down inside/Confusion sets in, where shall I begin.” The drums here have a steadier feel, which gives us a more positive sense that she – and we – will soon figure out answers to these questions. Her vocals express this feeling too toward the end, as she sings “Ooh, yeah/Ooh, yeah.” Trenton O’Neal plays drums on this track. This one also features some good work by Rob Kellner on organ. This song was released as a single. It is followed by “Unknown Road,” which was also released as a single. This one has more of a bluesy vibe as it begins, that great work on guitar creating a strong atmosphere. But it is Sara Syms’ seriously cool vocal performance which is at this track’s heart. “Not sure which way to go/I’m near, I’m far/My own North Star, please save me.” Then “The Game” is a surprise as it begins, a change of gears, with a delightful, twisted carnival sound. It feels like this entire country has been caught on some bizarre carnival ride for the last six years, doesn’t it? This track features Edward Lee on tuba, and Nick Ellman on clarinet, and they both deliver some fantastic stuff. Sara’s vocal performance is quite a bit different here too. I am completely nuts about this track. “And right inside is the other side of you/No one knows the other side of you.” This song is over all too soon.
This country is a total mess, thanks in large part to four years of an incompetent, raving asshole at the wheel. The world has shifted, and every day we find ourselves wondering if it can be put right again. The evidence is not in our favor, as even the so-called Supreme Court has gone completely off the rails and is no longer to be trusted or respected. We look around and ask, Is this the world we’re living in? What the hell happened? Sara Syms in “World We Live In,” asks, “Is this the world, is this the world we’re living in?” It is a question for which we need an answer. This track features a beautiful vocal performance. I also love the combination of piano and organ. Then approximately halfway through, there is a wonderful lead on flugelhorn, which seems to push through the dark clouds. And indeed after that, Sara sings, “Something’s come along.” As the song is reaching its conclusion, Sara sings, “I want to live in a new world, my friend.” I think a lot of us feel that way. That is Aurélien Barnes on flugelhorn. Aurélien Barnes then plays cornet on “River Of Life.” This is a cheerful and fun song, with a delicious rhythm, and a great New Orleans flavor. TJ Norris is on trombone. This is one of my favorite tracks. It contains a joyous conclusion.
“Shadow Hunters” seems to look both inward and outward. Some of the shadows may be within ourselves, but the idea is that the light will make its way in. And we feel that at moments on this track, for this is ultimately an optimistic, hopeful piece. That’s followed by “Good Times Never Last,” which begins with some pretty work on piano. And when Sara Syms sings that first line, “God, you’ve been crying for days, you’ve been crying for days,” I find myself fighting back my own tears, and eventually I lose. Dave Easley contributes some wonderful work on both pedal steel and dobro. “Wishing we could just start over, reinvent the past/If only for a moment, the good times never last.” This incredible album concludes with “Change In The Air,” a song that comes from the pandemic and those times of isolation, addressing the change of perspectives which many people felt in this time. It features another beautiful vocal performance. “Lost in a dream we have drawn from our scenery/Finding a treasure we lost long ago/Our love, again and again and again.”
CD Track List
- The Darkest Light
- Fear And Love
- Where Do I Belong
- Unknown Road
- The Game
- World We Live In
- River Of Life
- Shadow Hunters
- Good Times Never Last
- Change In The Air
The Darkest Light is scheduled to be released on August 5, 2022.
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