Israel Darling

"Acoustic and jangly but the polar opposite of mellow, Hickory’s Israel Darling draws a little rock twang and swagger into their clever Cohen meets Bacharach meets Buckley stew, and it sure does work. Atmospheric echoes swirl beneath a story of inner turmoil and hard choices in “Oh My God,” until the noise builds to a roar that matches the pain and regret in the storyteller’s head. Vocalist and songwriter Jacob Darden has a knack for delivering the damndest lyric at just the right time, with a voice somewhere in the area of Jump Little Children’s Jay Clifford and Andrew Bird, peppered with a tad of David Gray. “All Is Well” gears down a bit, but what sticks with you about these guys is that for all the “skinny pants” affectations and bouncing around (at least in the live format) there are real songs here, and the potential for much, much more. Smart arrangements, crafty use of sound (check the “grating giving way to hypnotic” drum loop under “I Know But It Is Late”) and no shortage of heartbreak in the material make for some great ingredients. We’ll just have to wait for Israel Darling to finish up the full-length album and head our way again — soon. Well worth a listen."

- Chris Cooper - Smoky Mountain News