Darren Campbell

Darren Campbell’s voice holds an emotional angst reminiscent of early 00’s Saves The Day, while his acoustic-centered music has a youthfulness to it like that of Never Shout Never.

The singer/songwriter from Scotland has been releasing a rather steady stream of singles ever since his debut EP in 2012. It’s an interesting approach to music distribution, releasing songs one at a time rather than as an album. It works though, as each song stands on its own, holding the spotlight for its duration.

If you listen to Campbell’s released songs in chronological order you can hear him grow in all aspects of his performance. Though songs from his debut like “Runaway” and “Thinking” show some of his best hooks and carry a nostalgic rawness, they don’t match the all-around quality of 2017 singles “Stories” and “You Don’t Know.”

On his latest single “Wherever You Are,” Campbell has removed all traces of his old acoustic pop, strapping on the electric for a spacious track with production elements unlike anything he’s done before. The result is one of his finest songs and teases at a possible alternative electronic pop direction for the artist. Looking forward to seeing what the future holds for Darren Campbell, I just hope he doesn’t sell his soul to the mainstream.