DARRYL BLOOD is a singer-songwriter that is no stranger to the music scene. Back in the mid-90s he was cranking out noise-pop no-wave with Turkish Delight in Boston, while also moonlighting with the experimental rock group Neptune. He shared the stage with such notable acts as Sonic Youth, Roger Miller (Mission of Burma), Guv'ner, Karate, Mary Timony, and the Ex. But now living in Los Angeles, and having recorded his second solo album, Blood has reflected on many miles, adjusted to a slower speed of life, and has developed a shyly optimistic view for a romantic gifted with many gorgeous offerings under his sleeve.
In Making All Things New, his latest gift to Sunday afternoon music, Blood lets the sweetness in his raspy voice reach out to the listener looking for the sun behind the clouds. Fans of harmonica and piano music will rejoice upon the opening number,"Chain Smoking Cathedral," a cautionary tale that sets the tone for much of the album. Though Blood spends much of his time pondering his own cynicism, much of the music seeks to find the happy accents in the sound. And yet, Blood cannot fully mask his rock roots by merely employing wire brush drums and harmonicas, as is clear on stand out tracks like his near Pavement-like perfection on "Oslo" or the Monkees pop-flavored jangle of "Large Box Black".
Instantly we are treated to Blood's ability to, within the music, strike chords and arrangements reminiscent of an American country scene, providing accessible portraits of smoky bars and lost highways, paying homage to the school of Dylan or Waits. The album appears to inhabit the journey between the coasts, and even though you can still hear the subtle ache in his voice as the final track smiles away, it's the sweetness that sticks when the album finishes, uncluttered by riddle or obsessive accompaniment.
-RD Mauzy (Rock Beat Stone)
Discography:
CD -TILTMASTER - "Swan Girth" (BlueSanct) - 2000
CD - DARRYL BLOOD - "This Isn't Goodbye" (BlueSanct) - 2003
CD Split EP - DARRYL BLOOD / MICHAEL CRIGLER - Freedom Is A Dream (Be Free Press) - 2004
CD - DARRYL BLOOD - "Making All Things New" (Bright Orange Records) - 2008
From Lastfm:Currently residing in Los Angeles, DARRYL BLOOD is a singer/songwriter who has been recording and writing music for well over a decade. It has only been within the past few years that his music has finally emerged to the masses. Originally from the Boston area, he played in TURKISH DELIGHT, NEPTUNE and other various side-projects for the latter half of the 90's. In 1997, he formed a small cassette label (Black Apple) to help distribute his own backlog of home recordings and other fellow four-trackers. His first solo effort, "Swan Girth"(BlueSanct), under the project name, TILTMASTER, was released to much critical acclaim in 2001. Mostly acoustic, with sparse arrangements, his songs settled around the darker themes of love, loss and regret.
During his last days in Boston, DARRYL BLOOD gathered together a small band of friends to record what would become "This Isn't Goodbye"(BlueSanct), a personal narrative that explores the many sides of transition and change. The new CD leans towards an Indie/Roots sound with a warm, vintage sensibility. Bolder arrangements paint the foreground; Acoustic Guitar, Cello, Banjo, Harmonica, Piano and Drums blend together in a mix of mid-tempo pop songs and sentimental ballads. It is probably his most cohesive effort to date, capturing a spontaneous sense of urgency and optimism.
With musical influences from the Beatles to Beck, DARRYL BLOOD merges 60's Folk with modern Indie Rock. Seeping through his musical past can be heard an array of heroes including Nick Drake, Donovan, Syd Barrett and Neil Young, and modern artists Ryan Adams, Elliott Smith, Wilco and Radiohead.