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About This Album: (a review by Radio Host, Ian Gifford)Motel Darlene is an album that defies labelling or definition. From the opening poppy strains of "Marilyn" (by Dan Bern) to the haunting drones of "Cigany Himnusz" (traditional gypsy hymn), each song has it's own characters and style. Best described as a roots album "Motel Darlene" is as diverse and intriguing as it's creator. The first release since the Jazz and Blues inflected "Absence of Uniformity", this sophomore effort is indeed a sign of incredible growth as a performer/writer/producer for Darlene. The recording once again took place outside of Darlene's homeland of Canada (with the exception of "all in a day" having been recorded in Toronto) and displays a rich sense of Roots culture with Darlene delving into Gypsy Folk (Seraphim, Cigany Himnusz), Celtic (Is tu Mo Ghra), Southern acoustic blues (Coot, Croc, Born with a Boner, Ain't I a Woman?, ) and the Torchsong/Ballad (A Little Tune). With some exceptional accompaniment by friends from across several countries, the beauty of this album is strung together with the warm beautiful voice of Darlene herself with some energetic stomping and wailing that can make even the most shy of us all feel the need to crank it up and dance.
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