The triump of the underdog (Dive In - Darius)

Name: NikkiH

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Product:	Dive In - Darius
Date:	13/05/03 (132 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A good collection of songs

Disadvantages: Sometimes borders on cheesy

We love the underdog in this country, but we also love to bring people down a peg or two if they dare to take a chance, or do something which expresses an unacceptable level of self confidence. Darius Danesh has been on the receiving end of both positive and negative media coverage, and the public perception which goes hand in hand with that. I am the first to admit that I did find him irritating when the Popstars programme first aired, but I never understood the level of hatred that was directed at him in the media. What was his crime? Dodgy facial hair and a cocky attitude.....could the same not be said for Billy Connelly? I do not see him being crucified! We need to try and encourage as many truly talented singer songwriters as we can, because if we do not then we will only have ourselves to blame when the bubblegum pop of the boy/girlbands takes over so we have no other choice but to listen to it.

The album is surprisingly good, and is devoid of the arrogance that has turned so many people off. So much emphasis is placed on an artist's ability to write their own tracks, and whilst I think it helps prolong a career, it is not the be all and end all (see Gary Barlow as proof). However, I am glad to say that a lot of this album is self penned, and it is not filled with cheesy, cliche filled lyrics that make me want to shake him until he cries....they are actually quite good, and a lot of it is pretty understated, coining the phrase 'keeping it simple'. My musical tastes are becoming more varied by the day! So what about the songs? Well here goes....

The first track on the album, and the debut single release was the catchy 'Colourblind'. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the song, and this was when my grudging admiration of his talent changed to an honest enjoyment of his music. The lyrics will not blow your mind, but they are not bad. I was really pleased for him when the song topped the charts, and even more so when
he understood that it was only one song and he still had a long way to go before he proved himself. He really looked like he started to enjoy what he did when this was released.

Follow up single 'Rushes' was always going to struggle to match the feat of the debut single, but I think it is actually a better pop song. The key with the songs on this album are that they are great to sing along to, and they skip along taking you with them. The lyrics again are not mindblowing, but they knock David Sneddon out of the water, and the chorus is really upbeat, and hooks you after the first listen. I admit that I am listening to it as I write this, and as usual I keep taking a break to have a little dance....I kid you not!!

Third and latest single is 'Incredible (What I Meant To Say)'. Like the other two, it is a very commercial song, but it is my favourite of the three. I love the chorus. It is uplifting, even though the verses are about a relationship breakdown. I would love someone to sing this song to me, but alas I think Nicolas Cage may be off marrying some Hollywood starlet, so it probably will never happen as the hubby would rather drink bleach than have Darius' voice pollute his ears. (His own words I must add!)

'Girl In The Moon' is a ballad, and it is very nice. He voice sounds velvety, and it glides over each word and note. I am sure a lot of you reading this would love me to say that the songs are terrible, and whilst this will not rank in my Top 10 of 2002, it is still a very good effort, and better than I ever expected. For many listeners on the edge of a love/hate relationship with Darius this may be too sickly sweet for them to stomach, and will be the excuse that they feel they need to rubbish the album.

'I'm Not Buying' is a good solid track. Don't forget, although he seems older, Darius is only 22, and the songs show a maturity and confidence beyond his years, especially as I d
oubt he has had the experience to base his songs on real life experience. This, like the songs reviewed so far sounds better with every listen. The fresh feeling stays with them long after many other songs by more accomplished artists would have started to sound very stale, and tempt me to skip quickly past them.

Title track 'Dive In' is a brilliant example of a pop song. It skips along at a nice pace. It is a song which would do well released as a single, but I do not think that his record company Mercury will want to overload the public with too many singles, so it may remain as a largely undiscovered treasure. It would have been very easy for Darius to sing about his struggles, but here he sings about your ambition, whatever it may be, and that you have to give it a go, and he sings 'you can only sink or swim, just dive in'. Simple but true.

'I Gotta Know Tonight' is a standout track for me. Something which is very apparant to me, is that Darius believes in the songs he is singing. While a lot of the tracks lack some raw emotion, it is very apparant on this track. The ballad works very well for Darius' voice, and the slow muted build up to the chorus hooks me each time I listen to it. I am a sucker for a good love song, and this is certainly heading towards being one. I am sure on his next album, there will be a real classic track.

'Sliding Doors' moves the tempo up a notch. It is nothing special, but it is still a decent MOR song, but it will not blow your mind. 'Simple Like The Truth' has a floaty summery feel to the opening bars, and then it turns into a really nice ballad which gives off a feeling of real regret, and desire for something that has not worked out. The lyrics portray a real feeling of yearning and pain. It is a gut wrencher of a song, but I am a sucker for a good song which stirs up some emotion which is why I love this one.

'Better Than That' is a quicker, m
ore upbeat song. It is nothing astounding, but again it is a good strong pop song, which is what has created such a good base for this album. There are no weak links here, just good solid songs which do not try to be more than they are. 'Mocking Bird' is a nice dance along song. It has a lovely pop beat, and Darius' vocals are strong and easy on the ear. I cannot really define the songs now, as they are all very similar, and that is in no way a negative critcism, purely a fact!

'Mercury Rising' is the penultimate track (not the final as there is a hidden track which I am revealing...sorry!) of this very enjoyable album, and it has a Celtic/country feel to it. It brings a sense of ease over you, and it is perfect to start winding the album down. The hidden track is 'I Gotta Know Tonight', a more acoustic version of the same track which comes earlier in the album. Considering I love the album version of this track, I did not think an alternative version could come

I think the best move Darius made was when he broke free from the overbearing controlling clutches of Simon Cowell, because he has been allowed to grow as a performer, as a songwriter, and as a public figure. Simon Cowell claims that he did not think Darius could cut the mustard....but this is the man behind Five, so I tend not to believe a lot of what he has to say, and the lack of cover versions on this album only strengthens this belief. On this album, his voice sounds more mature and less forced. He has finally become comfortable enough with his own sound, and he does not feel the need to overstate everything now. It is like a breath of fresh air in the world of samey pop music. He has fulfilled the promise he made when he was elimated on Popstars, and they say that actions speak louder than words. The judges must look back and think what made Hear'say look good enough for them to pick them over the likes of Darius and Liberty X.

I am sure that
the various reality shows will keep producing one hit wonders, but the likes of Darius will be around for longer than the likes of Will Young and Gareth Gates, as he has a wide ranging appeal, and he has not put all of his eggs in one basket. He does not need to rely on songwriters to provide him with material, as he has shown he is more than capable of that. I think that with the right amount of support from his record company, this could be the album that manages to raise the interest levels of the record buying public in America. I, for one certainly wish him luck.

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