Darby's songs aren't going to be for everyone. They're not innocuous pop songs with a bouncy beat and happy go lucky lyrics which are going to make you want to dance. What they do offer is emotionally honest takes on life, told in a straightforward and uncomplicated manner. She does show occasional flights of whimsy which break the disc up. In the song "Ugly Little Toad" she creates a parable about sustainable living through her description of a toad who depletes the food in his little pond through greed. Cute and funny, it still leaves no doubt in your mind what's she talking about and stresses the importance of sustainable living better than most so called environmental songs.
Darby is an intelligent songwriter with a unique voice. Unlike others who affect either an airy or an earnestly subdued tone when they sing, her quietness is a natural extension of her material. Introspective without naval gazing, when she turns her eye inwards she also manages to see beyond herself. So whether she's describing something highly personal like the death of her dog or talking about an issue, she finds a way of doing so which almost anybody will be able to identify with. Take some time out of your day and sit and listen to this disc, it will be time well spent.
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