Darden Smith
For the Sake of the Song
Reviewed by Jim Caligiuri, Fri., Nov. 26, 2010
![Texas Platters](/imager/b/newfeature/1117581/51fb/music_phases2.jpg)
Darden Smith
Marathon (Darden Music)Named for the West Texas town near Big Bend, Darden Smith delivers an affecting song cycle about physical and spiritual desolation. A peak in his 25-year songwriting career, the veteran local weaves atmospheric instrumentals with a tableau of folk, jazz, and blues that's equally introspective and hard-hitting. A triumph of simplicity, Marathon and its search for meaning is typified by "75 Miles of Nothing," a metaphor for the Texas desert and the difficulty Smith has had finding his place in the world.