Napa Valley raised, California-native Shelby Darrall grew up with a love of music sparked by her father, Chuck Darrall, and his band SilverCreek. Growing up, Darrall performed in the tasting rooms of wineries throughout Napa Valley. After two years of attending the University of Arizona, Shelby moved to Nashville to pursue her musical dreams and finish school at Belmont University. The talented young woman quickly gained the respect of the Nashville songwriting community co-writing with esteemed tunesmiths including Brett James, Troy Verges, and Emily Weisband, as well as collaborating with artists such as Jake Owen, Larry Fleet, and Josh Kerr. ‘Entertainment for the Brokenhearted’ (out today, April 29th) is the culmination of that journey and will not doubt open more doors for this talented artist as more and more people come to hear her songs.
Never has there been a more succinct or pertinent title for a project than ‘Entertainment for the Broken Hearted’! This EP is dripping in pain and loss but rather than coming across as maudlin or mopey, there is a wisdom in the lyrics and a richness in Darrall’s vocals that is quite uplifting. The EP is not a concept album but it does have a strong concept behind it, telling the tale of heartbreaks, breakups and wrong decisions. Opener, ‘Wrong Hands’ is a Carrie Underwood-style anthem about the former as Darrall is advised against seeing a guy by everyone who knows her. ‘All of my friends say that I’m going to end up in pieces,’ Darrall sings, ignoring them as the chorus kicks in and things get a little steamy. Country music is not a genre known for being particularly sexy, this is a format, after all, where Jason Aldean’s ‘Burnin it Down’ is considered to be raunchy, but Darrall lights things up on this track and gets us all hot and bothered in a classy way.
Most of the rest of the EP is dedicated to heartbreak and loss. ‘ I Want You to Leave’, a plaintive mid-tempo song that builds to a terrific chorus, has some delightful chugging guitars and clever lyrics as Darrall urges, possibly the same guy from ‘Wrong Hands’, to stay by doing a Country music bait-and-switch with the lyrics. With what follows on the rest of the EP you are left with the feeling that it doesn’t all go according to plan.
‘Pick Me Up’ finds Darrall on the phone to her father, begging him to come and rescue her. It’s a tender, heartfelt and nostalgic song that will appeal to women who have had strong relationships with their dads. ‘This is a different kind of need you, yeah daddy, could you please come and pick me up,’ Darrall sings on a darker, very melodic chorus that benefits from strings and lush production values. ‘Lied To Too’, a song that Darrall describes as being the centre-point of the EP and the hardest song she has ever had to write, is a clever song about not hating the girl who your ex has replaced you with, because, after all, ‘you were lied to too.’ It’s a powerful ballad. ‘I feel more for you than I do for him,’ Darrall explains. Delightful vocals and excellent production elevate what is already a great song which I can imagine is also a very strong live song too.
‘Happy First’ completes the trilogy of heartbreak songs. Another ballad, this one is set after things have settled. ‘I can tell that you are happier, I just wanted to be happy first,’ Darrall sings, with total honesty and vulnerability. Uplifting production combined with some big drums set this tender song against a bigger backdrop that works really well. ‘Don’t get me wrong, I hope it works out with her, I just wanted to be happy first.’
‘Entertainment for the Broken Hearted’ is a lush, rich listen but it isn’t all slick ballads. ‘Love Me When I’m Leavin’ ups the tempo skilfully. It begins in the style of a 90’s college rock song and does retain a feel for that style in the production as it settles into a Country banger that will slay live. It deals with complex issues in a lighthearted and fun way that fits the style and overall message of the EP fantastically whilst providing a little bit of aural fun at the same time.
Grammy-winning producer Ron Fair (Christina Aguilera, The Black Eyed Peas, Vanessa Carlton, Lady Gaga) helmed the control desk on ‘Entertainment for the Broken Hearted’ and you can hear all his skill and experience in the songs on offer here. Combined with that comes Darrall’s vocal skills and her rich, powerful voice. The concept is a strong one, the lyrics are meaningful, vulnerable and clever and that means that this is a rewarding and entertaining listen from an artist definitely on the rise. We can’t wait to hear these songs live and see where her career goes in the coming years too.
Tracklist: 1. Wrong Hands 2. I Want You to Leave 3. Pick Me Up 4. Love Me When I’m Leavin 5. Lied To Too 6. Happy First Record label: Reservoir Publishing Release date: 29th April 2022 Buy ‘Entertainment for the Broken Hearted’ now
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