Review: Patrick Darrah 'Northern Truth' (Album)
For Patrick Darrah, music has always been his passion, but the New York native did not decide to make a career out of it until 2017. His newly launched debut album “Northern Truth” was released on February 23rd and he has been showcasing it on Lower Broadway in some of Music City’s most widely known honky-tonks and bars. The honesty that Darrah displays throughout this album is a true testament of how passionate he is about putting out real, genuine music.
The ten-track album features a very diverse set list that offers something for all types of country music listeners. Songs like “Who You Used To Be, “Love Oughta Be Perfect,” and “I Never Got Over You” give the listener a sense of how often people reminisce about someone who they no longer have a relationship with, while the song “Colorado” gives the album a pinch of the outlaw country sound that many country music fans enjoy hearing. “Colorado” has a different vibe because unlike many of the other songs on this album, it reflects on the struggle of supporting a family during rough times.
Darrah also adds a few songs to “Northern Truth” that reflect on newly formed relationships and how intoxicating that new attraction is. A perfect example of this would be Smooth As Whiskey which has a stereotypical “do-you-wanna” storyline that so many country songs also have. These songs do well and many people enjoy them because the feeling of a new relationship is often intriguing. A song that could also be categorized as a “do-you-wanna” song is Make You Mine. This song in particular can be interpreted in a multitude of ways, whether it be a song about getting someone back, or being put in the “friend zone.” No matter how you interpret this song, it’s all about how one’s timing simply isn’t right. Two songs that have a classic acoustic guitar sound that many other country heartbreak songs have are You Make it Look Easy and After You. The dead-end feeling is apparent in both songs, especially in After You, which describes a hopeless romantic chasing someone who they will never really have a chance with.
Other than his descriptive love songs on “Northern Truth,” this album offers a glimpse into Darrah’s upbringing in his small-town that he grew up in. Dry County and Mama Left the Radio On have a close-knit feeling to them which Darrah holds very close to his heart. Without the small-town influence he received growing up, he may not be in the position he’s in today.
This album is very solid due to the fact that small-towns and love are often always talked about in the country music industry. This makes Patrick Darrah a great candidate to become the next big thing in Nashville.