Darryl "DJ" Jackson

Song Review

Composed, arranged, recorded, produced, and all vocal and all instruments played by D Jackson.

 Overall Impression:
Las Vegas artist Darryl Jackson, who handled all aspects of the track—including composition, arrangement, recording, mixing, production, and instrumentation—blends symphonic textures with distorted guitars on his release, "Would It Make a Difference." This track features elegant composition along with exquisite arrangement and instrumentation, opening with only rolling piano arpeggiations and delicate strings before opening up with a robust rock orchestral sound. Layered electric guitars play overtop dramatic harmonic progressions, exchanging solos in support of stacked male vocals, done by Darryl, that convey a deep yearning through lyrics expressing romantic regret and remorse. Prog and art rock fans will revel in the sweeping melodies and ornate style of Darryl Jackson's "Would It Make a Difference."

Strongest Point(s)
Solid production, decent mix. Outstanding composition and arrangement, innovative harmonic structure and an excellent melodic shape. Great intro, leaves plenty of room to ramp up dynamically. Nice beat design, a steady and kinetic groove. The arpeggios sound fantastic, whether on piano or guitar. Terrific guitar tones, great solos. Strong vocal performances and production; nice use of layering and filters, harmonies sound great. Emotionally expressive lyrical content, should resonate with listeners. Love the device at the end where you fade the music but leave the vocal, very effective little trick. All in all, this is a tremendous composition and a fine finished track that should appeal to art rock fans in particular. Stellar work, from top to bottom!

Target Audience Appeal:
Fans of Pop/Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Art Rock, Prog Rock

Artist target suggestions
Pink Floyd, The Flaming Lips, The Moody Blues, Kansas, Styx, Peter Gabriel, Electric Light Orchestra, Genesis, Phish, Radiohead, Mercury Rev, Gentle Giant, Procul Haram, Starcastle, Supertramp, Todd Rundgren, The Alan Parsons Project

About The Reviewer   
Steven Azami is a multi-instrumentalist with over 25 years of experience in the music industry. Both as a touring/session player and as a producer, his career has spanned nearly every genre from bluegrass to jazz, from rock to reggae. In addition, his work as a music educator has allowed him to cultivate and foster talent among the next generation of musical explorers