Charleston, SC 1966

Darius Rucker’s emotions can by no means be called make-belief

Darius Rucker is one of the favorite singers and songwriters both in the USA and Europe in the present days. He became one of the founding members and the lead singer of the successful rock band Hootie & the Blowfish at the age of 20 and released his debut solo R&B album Back To Then. Yet the move did not proved too successful, and the artist decided to turn to country. His sophomore effort Learn To Live was released in 2008 and brought him the world fame as a solo artist. Rucker masterfully united slow ballads and more up-tempo country compositions on that record with the lyrics as one of their major forces. Darius used light strokes to paint normal life situations, and the songs proved close practically to everybody. Having children and bringing them up, relationships, breaking up – the artist has been through it all, and his emotions can by no means be called make-belief. This year Darius Rucker releases his third album Charleston, SC 1966, which is even more emotional, bright and soulful than its predecessor and probably the best country album this year.

Each track on Charleston, SC 1966 charms from the very first sounds

Darius got the inspiration to call his album Charleston, SC 1966 from Radney Foster's debut album, Del Rio, TX 1959 – it states the singer’s place and year of birth. According to Rucker, it was Foster’s music that made him interested in country music. Learn To Live has proved and the new album keeps on proving that this genre suits Rucker’s hoarse voice better than anything else – whichever track you choose, it is going to charm you from the very first sounds. The album opens with the composition This telling of simple life’s joys, with melodious guitars and a memorable chorus. The first single off the album Come Back Song is a very contagious country tune in which the protagonist is begging his girlfriend to come back to him in an unusual way: he is sure she is listening to the song on the radio and is repenting that they broke up. The optimistic number Might Get Lucky full of hope pleases with a great arrangement, while the ballad Whiskey & You is one of the most emotional and soulful numbers on the album telling of sadness, hope and endless love. One of the most personal compositions on the record Southern State Of Mind speaks about Darius’ love of his native town, while the song Thing I'd Never Do is another example of introspection in which Rucker is trying to figure out his emotional fits. The ballad We All Fall Down is not only remarkable for nice philosophic lyrics but for some splendid guitars. A light, a bit humorous track I Don't Care featuring Brad Paisley demonstrates the singer’s more easy-going side, and the mid-tempo country melody She's Beautiful – the romantic one. The album closes with another joyful major-key number In A Big Way with faultless guitars, fiddles and Darius’ sincere singing.

Emotional and soulful country music

It is hardly possible to call Darius Rucker very inventive or inclined to experimenting. His country is the genre classic, very soulful and emotional with all the essential instrumentation at hand. The lyrics still remain one of the most important components on Charleston, SC 1966, and he almost always sings about his life. His mother raised six children, and as for his father Darius saw him only on Sundays for he sang in the church choir. Nevertheless, the musician always remembers his childhood with warmth. Traditional southern upbringing in a poor African-American family has had a significant influence on his character and attitude to life. Rucker is a father of two daughters (one before his marriage) and a son and often reflects on relationships between parents and children in his songs, therefore there are a lot of whole families among his fans. The experience in a band with all of its ups and downs has helped Darius Rucker to believe in his strength and start a solo career which has been going only upwards so far.