CD Review: Charleston, SC 1966

I haven’t reviewed any music in a while and that is mainly because it has been a while since I have a new CD that I thought was worth writing about… until now.

 

Last Friday I bought Darius Rucker’s second country CD, called:  Charleston, SC 1966.  Before I review this recording, I must offer this quasi-disclaimer:  I have been a fan of this singer since he fronted Hootie & The Blowfish, 15 or so years ago, so you might think that I am predisposed to give this guy a pass.  Well, that isn’t true.  If Rucker wasn’t a great singer, I would tell you so.  If Rucker’s music was saccharine, I would tell you.  If Rucker’s new CD wasn’t great, I would tell you.  The good news is that none of those things are true.

 

This is CD is really good from start to finish.  Starting with folksy and warming This to the bluesy Southern State of Mind, and Love Will Do That, Rucker proves that he really has the chops to make it as a solo country act.  The songs are well written, and not overly twangy (which would really have put the kibosh on it for me), and of course, Rucker’s amazingly soulful voice, make this potentially the best CD that I have purchased all year.

 

If you are a fan of country music, this CD should be a no-brainer, must have for you.  If you don’t consider yourself a big country music fan, I would advise you to give this CD a try.  Not only might you discover a love for a genre of music that you don’t normally listen to, you might also find an appreciation of an artist that you really should be paying attention to, no matter what he is singing.

 

Grade:  “A” for Awesome!