Post by jptheprofessor on Jun 4, 2006 22:31:27 GMT -5
DARCIE MINER – THE FRAGILE E.P. (Indminer Records) At the age of 22, Hershey-based singer, songwriter and guitarist Darcie Miner has already experienced a rollercoaster ride in the music business. She was signed to a major record label, Beyond/Universal, which folded before she ever completed her first full album. She has toured with Edwin McCain and has opened for names such as Patty Griffin, Richard Thompson, Jeffrey Gaines, Heart, Darius Rucker and more. She appeared on the MTV program Advance Warning in 2003, and came up short on CBS’s Star Search in that same year. Darcie is still making music; and based on the four studio and three live tracks of her latest recording, The Fragile E.P., she is still exploring, both musically and lyrically. Right off the bat, we hear Darcie exploring on the disc-opening “Fly;” she starts the song with a gentle, Patsy Cline country-like croon, but the tune grows harder and stormier as doubt and jealousy intensify. Also in a country-driven vein is “Anything Anyone Anymore,” an upbeat song of self-realization and lessons learned. “A Lot to Lose” offers a punchier, rocking sound; while “William” is a more somber-toned acceptance of a break-up. The three live tracks, “The Beast,” “Momma” and the contemplation of Heaven “One Big Line to the Top of the Sky,” offer Darcie at her most basic and bare bones; with acoustic guitar, soaring voice and emotional presence. Darcie uses her voice to paint a wide range of ever-changing emotions throughout these songs, ranging between high-soaring intensity and delicate quiescence to shape the moods and textures of each song. On the studio tracks, Darcie’s musical hired guns color the background surrounding her voice, enhancing her impact with a full, lush backdrop. The live tracks, though, illustrate that she is fully capable of painting pictures on her own, as she crafts moods and emotions using her vocal power, frailty and grit. The Fragile E.P. shows us that after weathering ups and downs in her music career thus far, Darcie Miner remains true to her art and passion, and is an artist unafraid to stretch out and explore, both musically and emotionally. The disc gives a wider scope of what this artist is all about, and offers the most revealing view of her musical personality yet. (The CD can be obtained at her shows, or by visiting www.indminer.com or www.myspace.com/darcieminer.)