Circo
Since his 1988 major-label debut, Darden Smith has gradually drifted away from prototypicalGuy Clark-style Texas story-songs and ventured into less predictable territory. OnCirco, a quietly powerful, sonically intriguing collection of spiritual ruminations ("God Loves a River," "100 Ways to Kiss the Ground"), ambivalent, new-age love songs ("We Make Love So Hard," "What Are We Gonna Do"), and haunting autobiographical sketches ("Mill Creek"), Smith has fallen under the subtle sway of Brazilian music. But the hushed intensity and acute powers of observation that make his earlier story-songs so powerful are still in full force. These gifts come into particularly sharp focus on "Late Train to London," a haunting travelogue that insinuates itself into the listener's imagination and echoes there long after the music has stopped.--Bob Allen