REVIEW: Daryl Mosley — When the Good Old Days Were New (SINGLE)
Tennessee native Daryl Mosley is one of the bluegrass world’s most respected figures, and for good reason. This three-time Songwriter of the Year, recognized by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA), has built a reputation as one of the genre’s most thoughtful and challenging songwriters. Mosley’s storytelling prowess is considerable. It dispenses with cliched bluegrass songcraft in favor of unflinching portrayals of the human condition. His writing sparkles with empathy and truth-telling. Few of his works illustrate that better than the new single “When the Good Old Days Were New”.
Newcomers will find his work dazzling. He gets under the skin of his respective characters and their lives authentically and recognizably. I believe “When the Good Old Days Were New” will reaffirm his gifts for longtime admirers. Mosley has not fallen into stasis and continues growing as a songwriter with each new outing. The new single is deceptively ambitious without relying on bells and whistles to convey his ambition. It reflects life as it is rather than as we would like it and provides unsparing glimpses into the human heart.
A top-notch cadre of musicians ably supports him. Tony Wray’s banjo and guitar playing weaves important musical threads through the song’s tapestry. Jamie Harper’s fiddle glides in and out and supplies an elegant backbone for the performance. Mandolin player Danny Roberts and harmony vocalist Jaelee Roberts are crucial cogs in the song’s design, particularly the latter. Her earthy yet melodious harmonies with Mosley through the chorus offer a critical counterpoint that transforms the cut.
It is Mosley’s lyrics that boast the largest transformative effect. He writes with the well-honed instincts of a prose author rather than a songwriter. It is knowing what to put in and what to leave out that matters. Mosley’s exceptional in this regard. I felt captivated by the tale from the first listen and waited almost breathlessly to hear how Mosley would resolve the story. He does so in fine, if unexpected, fashion.
He keeps the work condensed and on point. “When the Good Old Days Were New” runs just over three minutes long, and no excessive words or musical notes are present. There are no extended instrumental breaks for his talented cohorts to take a bow, but you won’t miss the lack. Instead, you will revel in the solid fundamentals anchoring this performance, much like I did.
He shows why he’s such a decorated and lauded songwriter. If the album he’s working on turns out to be as good as this song, there’s likely a fourth songwriter of the year award in his near future. If so, he deserves it. Daryl Mosley is working near or at the peak of his powers. However, it does not mean that it’s all downhill from here. There is every sign in this song that he’s far from exhausted, and I expect we will hear him keep this level of excellence for many years. He makes it sound effortless. All the great ones do.
Colin Jordan
