Warm. Inviting. Cozy. Those are just a couple of the feelings we get right off the top of Caleb Darger’s latest release.
A clean picked acoustic guitar floats underneath his earnest vocals as he opens up about someone he might have hurt and he reflects on the experience while the wistful instrumentation that accompanies it provides a comforting safe space for us to give Darger our full attention.
It has that kind of intimate singer-songwriter casual storytelling style that you might find from a visit to Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe. In fact, it encompasses that atmosphere so well it’s surprising to find that Darger actually hails from Salt Lake City, Utah and not the southern bend of Nashville. Regardless, the steel guitar that slides woefully throughout is a real treat to anyone with an appreciation for Americana country and it really allows the story to come to life in a way that feels both sincere and hopeful.
Accompanied by a beautiful female vocalist, A Lot To Tell You is about making amends in relationships and learning to admit where you’re wrong.
He begins the song with, “I’ve got a lot to tell you, but everything I say just makes you mad,” and we know we’re beginning the conversation from a place of deep hurt and remorse that feels regrettably familiar. The stable timbre of Darger’s vocals however leads us to believe that there may be a resolution to this story.
Without providing much detail to the situation that has led us here, instead honing in on the feelings that have surfaced as a result of it, Darger appeals to our own sense of accountability and self-awareness as he says, “I don’t mean to make you nervous, I don’t plan to leave you anytime, sometimes I just need a little bit of space to clear my mind, cause it gets so dark and twisted in my head and I’d rather not say something I’ll regret”. Certainly we can agree, we can’t correct the things we believe we’ve done wrong without taking the time to understand what led to our own behaviour, or else we may simply continue along the same path and make even greater errors.
While we never do find out if we do reach a resolution, Darger leaves the door open for further conversation and leaves us almost pleading with the one he’s scorned to give him another shot or at least the opportunity to hear him out so that we can get some semblance of closure.
His upcoming album Fault Line is due out in 2024 and will see Darger further exploring the complexities of relationships, getting older and loss of religion. If A Lot To Tell You is any indication, it is sure to be full of poignant reflection and meaningful approaches to tackling existentialism.
Keep up with Caleb Darger on his social media channels and listen to A Lot To Tell You everywhere you stream.
Crooked Forest 