Staff Reviews

Daryl Waller - The Baby Blues

Review by Ben Philpott

Full of rich, playful and brutally open song writing»

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Music isn't the go-to medium for Daryl Waller, who has made a name for himself as a visual artist, but you'd be forgiven for thinking it was - the striking intimacy of his album 'The Baby Blues' feels like the product of a lifetime of confessional songwriting. Yet Daryl's foray into the world of music began in 2008 when the recession forced him and his partner out of their home and into his studio - an old factory building with no hot water, heating, shower or washing machine. In the wake of a 'ailed' solo exhibition, Daryl was forced to reassess everything he had taken for granted, and he found himself in creative crisis. His partner bought him a 4-track and an old microphone and he tentatively began to craft songs about the direction life had taken him, filled with worry that he would never be in a position to begin a family. His debut album is fittingly titled 'The Baby Blues', but its release date coincides with the due-date of Daryl's first child. Now how's that for a happy ending? For fans of Elliott Smith, Lou Barlow and Beck.
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