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ROCK ‘N’ REEL - Winter 2000
A terrific storyteller, ‘Traveler’s Code’ (it’s the American spelling, before you write in) features some quite wonderful songwriting and performances. Opener, ‘Mr Schwinn’, is a marvellous, sweetly sentimental tale involving that much undervalued mode of transport - the bicycle - and the elderly batchelor of the song’s title, who fixes them. ‘Ring On My Hand’ sees Purpose duetting with Lucy Kaplansky to considerable effect .
‘Last Great Kiss’ is an up-tempo millennium-themed romance, and the beautifully fragile ‘True As The River’ is another highlight. Elsewhere, Purpose’s rock band past shows itself, providing satisfying contrast to the delicate ballads and a fine acoustic guitar instrumental. He’s clearly a musician of considerable style and ability. To round things off nicely, there are some pleasing fiddle contributions from regular collaborator, Darryl S, and Ellis Paul also guests.
While both previous Darryl Purpose albums were stylish outings well worth investigating, ‘Traveler’s Code’ is his most fully realised work to date. An attractive voice, mellow-with-an-edge, and easy-on-the-ear singer-songwriter material (including several co-writes) bears repeated listening, and a high proportion of numbers are really as good as it gets in that most populous of genres. If, as is likely, Purpose’s music has passed you by so far, adding ‘Traveler’s Code’ to your CD collection will certainly prove no gamble. —Dave White |
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