Darren Black is a young singer-songwriter who hails from the valleys of South Wales. He is possessed with a stirring voice that sounds remarkably mature and steeped in traditional nuances. The same could be said of Black's songs, though all the songs that appear on Silent Poetry are indeed original compositions -- Black obviously being blessed with an incisive flair for blurring the boundaries between the traditional and contemporary. The album has been skilfully produced by a stalwart of English folk music, Dave Swarbrick -- perhaps an indication of the respect that Black has already garnered in his fledgling career.
Silent Poetry is a delightfully sparse recording, with Black accompanying himself on just guitar and fiddle. This is in fact the album's strength, allowing Black's enchanting voice the freedom to soar above his musical accompaniment, and enabling the listener to focus on his elegiac lyrics. Black plays the guitar with an exquisitely light touch that recalls the sound of Nick Drake on more than one occasion -- particularly on the opening bars to "Tired and Ragged Souls," or "Pentwyn" in its entirety. Black reveals the more contemporary edge to his work on "Hold The Tide," featuring some charismatic and frenzied fiddle playing -- perhaps a less embellished and more organic variation on the type of sound achieved by Seth Lakeman, who is currently receiving critical acclaim the length and breadth of this land. Black is every bit the equal of Lakeman, albeit in a more understated manner.
Black also demonstrates a lyrical astuteness throughout Silent Poetry. "The Grand Executioner" is a song that Ewan MacColl would be proud of, detailing the decline of a town's industry, and the consequent effect on the relationships between its residents; "friends left divided, like thieves on the run." Black then takes a well-aimed swipe at the current conflict in Iraq with "As The Oilfields Burn," his lyrics echoing the doubts and suspicions of many; "Bully boys throw their toys / from their seats of power." With "Why?" Black casts his eye over the shortcomings of a society where the few still benefit at the expense of the many; "Never a question is asked, it's the right / Of the higher achiever to set out the plight / Of the workers and shirkers to sit at the back and stay quiet." Black closes the album with "Pentwyn," a poignant homage to his industry-ravaged homeland of South Wales and the friends and family left behind.
Silent Poetry is a remarkable achievement that could quickly establish Black as one of the foremost songwriters and performers in British folk music.
