First Impressions: Canyon by Sarah Darling

“This is the best thing you’ve played me in a long time,” Diane said—or words to that effect—while raving about “Hippies and Cowboys,” the lead track on country singer-songwriter Sarah Darling’s fifth album, Canyon. Darling’s honeydew voice is smooth and sweet, while her lilting songs conjure the SoCal ethos of yesteryear. It radiates a peaceful, easy feeling from start to finish—about the only things missing are the occasional pops and clicks of old vinyl. The warm smell of colitas rises up from its grooves.

The album gets under way with “Hippies and Cowboys,” a hazy ode to California dreaming that channels the gypsies of long ago: “Some of us are born to run/Easy drifter with a heart of gold/Old souls forever young/Hippies and cowboys/Chasing the wild in the land of the free.” One can almost hear David Crosby, Graham Nash and Jackson Browne lending their harmonies on some songs, and Rosemary Butler and Nicolette Larson on others.

“Pink Skies,” released as a single a while back, sounds like an outtake from Fleetwood Mac’s Mirage album, sporting a polished sheen that leaves us seeing reflections of ourselves in its lyrics. Ostensibly, it’s about taking a chance on another: “I’ve been up/I’ve been down/Just a face in the crowd/Feels like I got what I want/But I’m missing something.”

“Good Girl” finds her contemplating letting loose for a night, while “Red Mustang” revs its engine during a nostalgic drive to Malibu. It’s a sweeping tune that’s accented by a glistening guitars and a glimmering joie de vivre.

“Hollywood,” for its part, reins in the tempo while recounting a tempestuous time when empty promises almost seduced her. “Staycation,” on the other hand, pitches fun at home rather than traveling to a budget-busting paradise. “Getting Gone,” meanwhile, shimmers in setting suns and sad songs, capturing the essence of exiting a bad relationship: “It’s high time/I chase the northern sky/Let the pine air bring me back to life/How could freedom feel so wrong/If loving you is killing me/Honey I’ll be living.”

“The Thing About You” reverts to romance, celebrating that special someone who brightens her days—though that someone could well be a special cat or dog, if you think about it. “Silver Linings” dwells in broken dreams and hearts; in another era, Linda Ronstadt would’ve covered it. It positively aches. 

The album closes with another stunner, “Crochet Summer,” that finds her relishing her memories: “They say you can’t go back/To where you’ve been/But I still do/Every now and then/When I unpack my history/It fits just like it should/It fits just like it should/I try on who I used to be/And, oh, it feels so good.” 

On Instagram, upon its release last Friday (Oct. 5), Darling wrote, “It’s a roll your windows down, drive somewhere beautiful and VIBE! It’s how I hope you listen to my album. A 70s golden era in my mind, influenced by that laurel canyon sound, nostalgia wrapped in sunshine, I hope you love it.” That well encapsulates Canyon, I think. It’s a sonic tonic for the soul, akin to a god ray slicing through dark clouds on the gloomiest of days.

The track list: