Right Side of Zero

Darryl Purpose's debut album is a bit of a stylistic hodgepodge, and it lacks the polish of his later works both in the songwriting and the production. But it nonetheless reveals his prodigious talents, and, as singer/songwriter premieres go, it's really a pretty strong piece of work. Producer Kevin Fisher (of Naked to the World) opts for an upbeat folk-pop sound, which is an appropriate choice on most of the tracks, since the songs tend to be less substantive and more hook-oriented than on Purpose's later records. "Don't Tear Down" and "Victory in the Struggle," for example, are catchy and engaging, but wouldn't have withstood the bare-bones production of the excellent Same River Twice. The best efforts here are the instrumental "Rootwing" and the gently folky title track, both of which would have fit in well on Purpose's later records. The weaker tracks on Right Side of Zero are those that venture into less sturdy stylistic terrain, like the gospel number "I Will Run," the romantic ballad "Old Rock and Roll Song," and the vaguely Caribbean "The Island Song." This album has the sound of a talented artist looking to impress with his virtuosity but not yet in full possession of his gifts — a common flaw for first efforts and demo recordings.