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Darryl Way — Destinations 2
(Spirit of Unicorn, 2021, CD)

by Jon Davis, Published 2021-06-30

Destinations 2 Cover art

Like Destinations, Darryl Way’s 2019 collection of instrumental tunes written to evoke various places around the world, Destinations 2 touches on a number of styles in its depictions of locations, from exuberant rock to what might be called “Classical with a back beat.” And like the first volume, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, with some tracks sounding great on their own while others might work as background music in a film but don’t really stand on their own. Way continues his exploration of the guitar as well as his primary violin. “Alhambra Knights,” “Café de Paris,” and “Fiesta Mexicana” all feature acoustic guitar prominently, as might be expected from the titles. “Colombian Gold” takes on a latin flavor, “Rio Grande” feels like an American folk ballad, “Fiesta Mexicana” has the fast waltz-time rhythm found in traditional Mexican folk music, and “Hungarian Rhapsody” is exactly what you’d expect. “Banquet of the Vanities” and “Vegas” are uptempo rock tunes, and “Mother Earth” is a kind of instrumental power ballad. Way’s violin and guitar are backed by lots of keyboards, bass, and drums. I didn’t get detailed credits, but the drums definitely sound programmed, and the bass may be guitar, keyboard, or some of each. The guitar work is well done, suiting each scenario perfectly, never overly flashy, while the violin is as good as you’d expect from one of the primary exponents of rock violin. If you’re a filmmaker looking to license some music for a series of travelogs, Darryl Way has your soundtrack ready-made. For progressive rock fans, the music is a bit on the lightweight side, with each piece adhering closely to its chosen style, with no surprises or unexpected twists. Still it’s well-made, and one can’t fault Way for putting himself out there with these Destinations.

Filed under: New releases, 2021 releases

Related artist(s): Darryl Way / Wolf

More info
http://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/darryl-way-destinations-2/

 

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