This Isn't Goodbye

Shedding the Tiltmaster moniker and broadening his scope, This Isn't Goodbye is Darryl Blood's first album released under his own name. Recorded just prior to moving to L.A. from Boston, Goodbye has a bright, expectant feel. Even during the more bummed-out moments, such as on "True Hearts," a song about being broke and in love, Blood's hopefulness shines through. On "Moral Lies" (a different version of a song from the last Tiltmaster album) -- despite a forlorn cello sawing away and the brooding chorus, "Don't you write me off" -- Blood seems genuinely excited by his feeling of abandonment. This irony of happy/sad is mirrored musically by the pairing of classic pop and folk traditions on nearly every track, and most obviously on "Stool Pigeon," which pits banjo against a harmonica riff straight from "Love Me Do." Indeed, this isn't goodbye: the album shares many of the strengths of the final Tiltmaster album, and there are no bold, self-conscious departures here, but This Isn't Goodbye is definite step forward in terms of focus and maturity. ~ Jason Nickey