Listening to Darrell Scott sing on his latest album A Crooked Road is like listening to poetry in motion.  A gifted storyteller, musician and vocalist, Darrell Scott is one of country music’s the music world’s best-kept secrets.  Well thought of by any country musician in Nashville and many musicians throughout the world, Darrell’s latest album –a two disc opus called A Crooked Road – was wholly played, composed and performed by him except for three tunes which he co-wrote with his father Wayne Scott (“A Father’s Song”), “Candles in the Wind (Childless Mother)”, and Beth Nielsen Chapman (“This Time ‘Round”). 

Each song tells a separate story.  “The Day Before Thanksgiving” finds a desperate man questioning all he knows to be true and taught throughout life.  It’s an interesting study into the mind of a man at a crossroads in his life, something that can be said about the elegant title tune “A Crooked Road.”  This tune has a “Blackbird” – like quality to it that it seems to revel in its simplicity with lyrics like “I walk a crooked road to get where I am going, to get where I’m going I must walk a crooked road.”  It’s a song that seems to say that all the bad and good things along the road that is life must be taken in to be a complete and whole human being.  Any father who has missed time in their children’s lives for various things – be it for work or divorce – will relate to “A Father’s Song.”  

In addition to showing off his considerable vocal and songwriting skills, Scott showcases his musicianship with the short instrumentals “Alton Air” and “Pester Lester” on the first disc and “Some Other Time” on the second one.  “Take Me Back To Yesterday” is a dark, moody tune with the kind of ‘anger’ in some of the chords that metal rockers use but instead of being angry, this song is more of a wistful song about wanting to revisit days of yore when he was in a relationship.  “Candles In The Rain (Childless Mothers)” is a beautiful, beautiful tune that feels ready to be recorded by somebody in the Mainstream, someone willing to take on such a brilliantly written song, perhaps Martina McBride or Jimmy Wayne?

The second disc of A Crooked Road tells more of Scott’s musical memories but this time with more ‘plugged-in’ than the first track.  “Love’s Not Through With Me Yet” is another tune that could really be recorded by a mainstream country artist.  It also reminds me of Scott’s friend Marcus Hummon’s own literate and introspective tunes.  “Where The Spirt Meets The Bone” Is as introspecitive as anything on the record while “Snow Queen and Drama Llama” is a rock-n-roll meditation on love that feels like it could be on any sturdy rock-n-roll record from the 1970s.  “This Time ‘Round” is as beautiful as anything else on the record as Darrell Scott proclaims ‘I’m gonna lay my heart wide open for love this time ‘round.’ 

Darrell Scott may never be a superstar with millions of dollars but as one of the best songwriters in America, he certainly has more than enough of himself to share with the world.  He’s the kind of singer/songwriter that most songwriters wish they could be and few ever become.   A Crooked Road is the work of a man at the top of his ‘game’ and is well worth seeking out and listening to over and over again.  This is one of 2010’s best albums.

You can support Darrell Scott by purchasing this album at Amazon | Amazon mp3 | iTunes.