Album Review: Darren Middleton - Tides

You can take a musician out of a band, but you can’t take the band out of a musician. Darren Middleton’s latest album Tides shows a lot of influence from his Powderfinger days. This is by no means a bad thing; Middleton has further perfected the craft he first developed when part of the band. The result is Tides’ collection of purely awesome music.

The entire album could arguably be divided into two parts. The first few songs, including In The End and In Record Time, are slow and melodic, with Middleton’s naturally soothing voice melding with the music perfectly, creating a very relaxing, but still upbeat vibe. The second part of the album perhaps shows more of his origins; songs like After All and Just Let Me Go are definitely more ‘rock’ than anything else, with heavier focus on guitar and drums and a strangely fitting soft yet loud vocal range.

There are two exceptions to these broad categorisations. The Bully is mostly just guitar and Middleton’s voice, giving it a very sombre and personal feel, like it’s just him and his instrument, singing to you and you alone. The album ends with Ghosts & Memories, giving the distinct impression that Tides has saved the best for last, where the back-up vocals that have appeared throughout the album really come into their own. The entire song almost sounds like an epic choral arrangement or ballad, ending the whole album on a high note with a twinge of awe.