The enigma that is Darey might not be appreciated by young folks, but if you’re a sucker for good music, you just might want to give him a space in your playlist. I know; I am Gen Z and should not diss a brother on his choice of music. Yeah yeah, I get.
There’s something about Darey and his music. I like to think of the genre he peddles as ‘soulful lamba’, because he brings something catchy and banging but outrightly spiritual and meditative.
Although, he now shuffles his time between handling his business, Livespot 360, the event management company responsible for handling Cardi B’s entrance into Nigeria. He’s that blown, innit?
However, while he’s at it, he never forget his first love, music, and with that, the veteran singer released his ninth body of work, ‘Way Home’, a 7-track project featuring Teni and worked on by Pheelz, young OG and others.
The project is a subtle Darey trying to break into the international market. He looks to strike a balance with Afro music and the alternative sound. Some of the songs also have a tingling of the European music feel.
As the project’s title goes, he discusses a longing for home, rest, peace, love, the intermediates and other paraphernalia.
Way Home opens beautifully with Wild West, where he sings about the challenges he has encountered on his path to finding love. It is an Afrobeats instrumental with powerful percussion sound and a little bit of the European pop sprinkled around. Thank you Darey, I already have plans to chase her from here to Budapest.
Show Me Love with Teni is one of my favorite songs on here. First off, can someone give Pheelz a cold bottle of Heineken? What was that at 02: 12? Totally sick. I love the drums on this Afro-pop song. And Teni doesn’t disappoint, with a voice well laced for songs like this, she drops those sexy ad-libs. “Go baby, go baby, that’s my baby.”
Jojo with Patoranking might just be the best song on this project. Everything about this pure Afrobeats bop is just endearing. From the instrumental to the production and those electronic drops in the song is a delight.
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It is thrilling, because in a subtle sense, it is Darey leaving his comfort space to deliver us this hook, “jojo kin jojo“; something we’re definitely singing into next year. And there’s Patoranking, wagwan brotherman, fire burn dem all, man dem kill the verse. Interestingly, Darey did not lose his excellent songwriting skill on a dancing song like this. Great work.
Jah Guide Me easily reminds me of Burna Boy’s Bank On It; they seem to have the same spiritual feel. However, I fail to find the hook of this song. Beautiful song, but where’s the hook? You have to sing the whole song dear, there’s no ‘jojo kin jojo‘ refrain to hold on to here. The trumpets made the track all the more lovely.
As a recent graduate, Mò Oh seems like a message to me. I am particularly drawn to the lines, “I know you want to hustle oh/ You want to make money/ To travel round the globe/ I know you want all the titles oh/ Make the sky your home/ Become a rolling stone.” I think there’s something about Darey constantly advising us to know where we come from, to shun pride and live a simple life.” Wahala for who no gree listen.
Gone is a Folk song that starts well, and definitely gets better. On the first listen, I thought he featured rising singer, A.D.A.M. Yeah, the voice in the first verse sounds very similar. It is however, not my song.
Way Home comes off beautifully because of Darey’s voice and the acapella input in the song. Nonetheless, I think he lost the charm with which the album started in the penultimate song.
Conclusion:
While this project is good, it lacked topical cohesion and sequencing. The stories seem scattered and everywhere. Big ups to Pheelz for amazing work on this project and Darey’s pen. Can anyway kindly help steal it? And who designed the EP cover? Definitely not it. I score it a 7/10.
Photo Credit: Instagram
