Time Out New York (November, 2007) - "Brooklyn singer-songwriter Darrin James touches on Robbie Robertson’s gruff soulfulness, Tom Waits’ vaudevillian menace and Paul Westerberg’s ramshackle charm in the bluesy rockers on his debut album, Thrones of Gold. James has a knack for perceptive lyrics and memorable tunes; his crack band supplies the laid-back grooves."

The Deli Magazine (September 2007) - "The man's got Joe Henry versatility, a crackerjack studio band, and a great sense of craft... from a Lovett/Waits blues into a John Prine diatribe then rocketing off with an Elvis Costello pop gem. The record was made with a lineup featuring seriously tasty musicians making notable decisions that allow Darrin’s throaty vocals to take the foreground. It’s got it all. So much so that Darrin literally counts his blessings in the upbeat list poem love song "Lucky Man". A very musical effort." - Review by Walt Wells

Blog Critics (May 11, 2007) - Darrin James distills hard-edged soul and craggy Americana into a redolent tincture that I've come to think of as New York City Melting Pot. His gravelly voice and confident, grungy guitar work lend themselves equally well to rock and blues ("Trivial"), old-timey piano-driven numbers ("Had Enough of Me") and blue-eyed soul ("Hate That Word," "Duct Tape"). There's the obligatory, grim, Nick Cave-like folk ballad ("Herie"), but this one has a tumbling beat that takes it into original waters. Mandolin and ukelele feed the gentler folkiness of "Dusty Road," while haunting organ and thudding upright bass give other songs the slightly eerie, organic quality that Americana producers strive for.James produced the CD himself, with expert support from a set of fine musicians. It's well-crafted all the way through. The only misstep is "Faith on the Run," which would be an excellent song but for an uncomfortable resemblance to Tom Petty's "Last Dance with Mary Jane."

Its literate lyrics and subject matter are a big part of why Thrones of Gold stands as one of the best indie productions of the year so far. "Long lost, slightly sauced/And swingin' from a vine/She was a dose of imperfection/Left me danglin', out of time/I sold my disposition for a nickel and a dime/But now she's had enough of me." "Lucky Man," on the other hand, expresses the eternal strangeness of the situation of the more successful male: "I'm a Lucky man/I know who I am/Never done the best that I can/So I'm Lucky that I got you."

Politics and worldliness run through a number of songs. The subject of "Herie" "fought in the war for Iran/He had a dream of freer land/His family was murdered/In front of his eyes/But I've never seen him cry." Meanwhile, you can almost picture the narrator of the title track sitting in a weirdly angular apartment deep in Brooklyn, watching war news on TV, wringing his hands, and dreaming:

I'm goin' somewhere I've never been / My life here is at an end / I'll be an honest man with a calloused hand / Goin' where people don't work so hard / No one's gonna show me no business card / I'm outta here. - Review by Jon Sobel

Honest Tune Magazine (July 18, 2007) - One track. That’s all it takes to make Darrin James' latest effort worth the entire album.

Though you’ll get 13 solid listens, the opening track on his Thrones of Gold, “Trivial,” with all its reckless abandon and rock and roll energy - think The Gourds meet The Faces - is more than worth the price of admission. In this day and age where rock and roll has fallen prey to oh so many gimmicks, its nice to have just one real, raw, rock song.Darrin James does this in just one tune, then shifts gears a number of times, from the pseudo-soul of “Duct Tape,” to the folk/rock of the title track, making Thrones one darn fine record.

Americana UK (June 17, 2007) - An intriguing debut for his own record label.

Residing in Brooklyn NY, where James and his wife settled following their year long honeymoon travelling the world, he’s bought back lots of influences from his travels. Bit of a worry though having a song on his album entitled ‘Hate That Word’ which is an indictment about love. Wonder what his wife thinks?

Initial listens to this album indicated a blues leaning. His voice is gruff and rough and suited to the delta blues or jazz but this cd is far more than that. Whilst ‘Had Enough Of Me’ and ‘Crazy World’ demonstrates his fondness for Tom Waits and some also tracks include Colin Stetson on tenor sax (who’s played with Waits), this isn’t ‘Heart Attack and Vine’ revisited.

Opener ‘Trivial’ kicks the album off in Springsteen style. With its rousing chorus and loud guitar continually punching its way through. Followed by some funky organ on ‘Duct Tape’ it expands the expectation of what this album is all about. The title song brings in some bluegrass that harks back to ‘O Brother Where Art Thou’? Three songs in and we’ve experienced a raft of styles already. ‘Faith On The Run’ supplies a catchy country rock tune that’s got hit written all over it.

But the best track here is ‘Herie’ which James wrote back in 2000. About a friend who fought in the Iran war, and the hatred that took over him after his family was murdered in front of his eyes, it outlines the narrator’s concerns that he won’t be able to love again, and will continue to keep hatred closer to him.

Penultimate song ‘In The End’ brings in masses of guitar solo’s as James describes walking the desolate streets of Lafayette as he struggles with where he’ll end up at the end of his life, “Some say heaven, some say hell, I believe the latter, would suit me just as well”. Not a positive song.

But the final entry in this musical diary ‘Lucky man’ gives him the realisation he’s looking for. “I’m a lucky man, I sink my toes in the sand. I’m lost in a foreign land, so I’m lucky that I got you. I hope you feel lucky too”. Sounds like a love song to his wife to me. Maybe it was inspired by his honeymoon. “We share a language and a destination. We share a ticket and an invitation”.

He’s only joking about his views of love I reckon. He knows what side his bread is buttered. - By Phil Edwards

Cowboy Trance Blog (July 19, 2007) - The singer-songwriter genre doesn't enjoy the same limelight it did in, say, the 1970s, and sometimes that's a curse and many times that's a blessing. Even proven veterans like Petty and Springsteen, of whom The Darrin James Band is a peer, have trouble getting noteworthy recent material into the public's eye. But the DJB sounds so completely authentic and true to its voice that it almost feels cleansing, and makes you wonder why in the hell great songs like these aren't everywhere, drowning out the vapid clowns that pollute the genre. The debut album, Thrones of Gold, doesn't sound at all like a debut, but rather like a sharp, soulful, and rocking veteran that Darrin James will surely become. Check out "Trivial"

Smother Magazine (April 2007) - "Sort of a mix between Springsteen and Neil Young, they're a rock format that’s highly engaging and completely exhilarating. Vocally it’s throaty and raw but manages to convey a perfect sense of melody. Highly enjoyable and I would most certainly recommend it." - By J-Sin

Pace University Press (April 2007) - "Born to sing the blues, Darrin James tears at the soul...There's an uncanny, effortless authenticity to it that is aloof and genius at the same time. The Brooklyn-based musician has a certain weary, detached air about him, as if he barely realizes the scope of his words and music while executing them in untroubled fluency. Despite such ease in his music, every song is tinged with raw emotion...undeniable talent and originality." - Julyssa Lopez

Dissolver Magazine (April 2007) - Thrones of Gold, the debut from the Darrin James Band, is a strong disk the whole way through, incorporating an inspiring variety of musical styles and lyrical themes. With a rugged voice and virtuoso guitar skills, James and his band make the most of his well-written songs.

To start, they couldn't have done better with the leadoff track "Trivial," which plays like a great Springsteen song. Immediately following is the funk-infused "Duct Tape," highlighted by an Allman-caliber guitar solo that deftly manages to rein things in before getting too jam-band on us.

The title track impresses as well, with a genuine Kentucky bluegrass feel to it, and James's voice never sounds deeper or more haunting than in the plaintive "Only a Woman." The fifth track, "Faith on the Run," borrows a little too much from Petty's "Last Dance with Mary Jane," but I like the sentiment of the song an awful lot. It's full of great social commentary ("Matching people like matching socks / In matching houses on matching blocks") and yet more excellent guitar work.

"Hate That Word," an indictment of the word "love," succeeds in being honest instead of just overly cynical. Then along comes "Herie." It's not the only song betraying a strong Leonard Cohen influence, but it's certainly the most intense, and throws itself full force into deep global themes, something Cohen certainly wasn't afraid to do either. If "Herie" proves too dark or ominous for you, "Dusty Road" is a perfect (and well-placed) pick-me-up, making nice use of female harmonies to lighten the vocals.

It takes 11 tracks to discover that James can hit high notes with astounding grace, as he does in the chorus of "Communion." And on "In the End," he unleashes an entire album's worth of pent-up guitar solos into the soulful 7-minute epic.

Exhibiting a sound and lyrical wisdom well beyond his years, Darrin James touches on stories ranging from inspiration to disillusionment on this solo debut, while keeping listeners rapt with his husky voice and talented playing. Thrones of Gold was the result of years of hard work, and it shows. - By Jon Gorey

Blues Bunny Magazine (U.K. - April 2007) - This is an album of contrasts. From straight rock to dark songs in the style of Leonard Cohen to Southside Johnny soul influenced rock, the influences are certainly many and varied. It is one for people who like something a bit different rather than straight down the line pop music.

The opening track "Trivial" is a cracking piece of pure rock, and is followed by the more soulful organ influenced funky rock sound of "Duct Tape". Two classy numbers that have genuine hit potential if given the airplay they richly deserve. With a couple of excellent rockers to open, you could be forgiven for thinking that you would be getting more of the same. Instead the rest of the album meanders its way through some diverse and often intriguing performances.

With "Herie" we have what very much sounds like a personal piece of cathartic musical story telling - dark and verging on disturbing it may be, yet sung with a feeling that is rare in a musical climate that rewards insipidness. "Only a Woman" is another particularly outstanding song with Darrin's throaty and gravely vocals giving an extra edge to some cutting lyrics. "Faith on the Run" is a surprisingly catchy country rock style number; while "Crazy World" has a strong Doors influence. And nowhere is the eclectic nature of this album more apparent than with "Thrones of Gold" which actually brings to mind the Soggy Bottom Boys from "O Brother Where Art Thou?"

This is singing and song writing as it should be. Darrin creates music that you want to listen to, that can be fun, and yet at the same time he is not afraid to deal with challenging subject matter when the need arises.

Soul of Rock n' Roll (August 2007) - August must have been the month of vaguely folk-ish singer/songwriter music because it seemed as if every suggestion I received for the Soul of Rock ‘n’ Roll was in that genre or at least close enough to it that I would associate it with that label. That’s not necessarily a bad thing as there were some great artists, some of whom have already been featured, but still, after a while it did get a little repetitive.

I’ll admit that I might be a bit of a singer/songwriter snob as it seems to take a little bit more for artists of that genre to impress me than others (I have a few choice favorites, but I’ve heard thousands), and if I’m not in the right listening mood I won’t even bother. Maybe that’s why it took me a few days longer to check out this artists music than it would have otherwise. I’m glad I did though as, like I said, there were some great artists submitted this August, one of which is Darrin James of the Darrin James Band.

Hailing from Brooklyn NY, on first glance I thought Darrin James was just another of the singer/songwriters that I had heard so much of this month already, but take a deeper look because there is a lot more than that in his music. The first thing most people (well more rock and roll versed people) will notice in my mind is a vocal style that recalls Bob Dylan, but more on that later. Comparisons aside, the Darrin James Band still makes some grooving rock and roll, country flavor, and earthy blues with a soulful style.

I started with the Darrin James’ Myspace page, as I do with most of these new artists in order to get a quick listen and see if anything stands out immediately. There are four songs listed, each with a unique style. “Thrones of Gold” is a country/bluegrass esque folk number that’s catchy enough to earn some toe tapping and an earthy feel that just sounds so natural paired with James’ vocals and lyrics. “Lucky Man” is also in the same vein, but instead of bluegrass it’s more in the folk song, softer and subtler. It still captures the same earthy feel though, just in a different flavor. “Only A Woman” starts out as a slightly dark and minor tinged blues number with just a soft acoustic guitar but builds into a larger, grander chorus that kind of hangs in the air just a little hauntingly, before returning to the verse. James’ gritty vocal style takes on a far more grizzled bluesy feel with just a touch of menacing growl at times on this song that really puts the emphasis on the darker atmosphere. This song also features a subtle, but great little guitar lead… kudos to whoever played that lick. “Had Enough of Me” is a little different but still has some of the same bluesy feel. It’s laced through a bit of slow, tinkly, slightly jazz piano and a soul beat that swaggers and sways accented by great a great rough edged saxophone lead.

These last two songs really made me want to see what else the band would have in store on the rest of the album and from what I’ve heard, it appears that surprises continue.I haven’t yet gotten to listen to the entire album, just clips, but it sounds like this band has some real depth. “Trivial” sounds the closest to “rock and roll” with an upbeat, more rockin’ style. “Duct Tape” also sounds like more of a rocker, but with a slightly twisting opening riff, more of a blues jam feel and a soulful vocal performance. “Faith on the Run” is also bluesy but has a great, more pushed chorus. “Hate the World” sounds a bit like a rough edged bluesy ballad while “Dusty Road” is more folksy, but settles into more of a country feel. “Communion” also fits in with the folksy/country feel, but again in a different, darker way, and “In the End” is more of a slow burning blues.

And then there’s “Herie” and “Crazy World”, both of which totally blew me away (and that was just from the clips). “Herie” seems like folk song with it’s opening acoustic guitar, but the rolling drums and bass add such emphasis and darkness to the sound that it takes on a whole new character… subtle, but so powerful with tons of color. Out of everything I heard, “Herie” struck me the most as just great songwriting and style. On “Crazy World” the band channels more of a delta blues, but with a jazzy swaggering bass line, with such grit and soul that it ends up really dark and smoky… also great.

Throughout all this music there are also a couple of other things that really impressed me and sparked my interest. The first is Darrin James’ vocal style. Like I mentioned previously, on first listen I immediate identified it with Bob Dylan. James’ sounds grizzles, throaty, bluesy and authentic, like Dylan, but a little darker, even recalling the gruff growl of Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top on occasion. He’s got that great soulful voice that is made to sing the blues and really adds the finishing touches to these songs. Not everyone could set the mood so well, vocally it’s just the perfect fit.

Secondly, lyrically these songs are quite engaging. They’re real, soulful and have subtle moments of word play without ever sounding stereotypical, melodramatic or over the top. Combined with the music and sung in James’ voice makes for something that sounds completely honest, natural and authentic. It’s a sound that the band a a whole really feels comfortable with, like all the pieces just fell into place.

Thirdly, as a guitarist I’ve got to say that there’s some great subtle, bluesy guitar licks throughout these songs. They seem to howl when necessary but never step out of the feel of the song, really adding emphasis without distracting from the vocals or lyrics. Oh, and that saxophone lead on “Had Enough of Me”… top notch as well.

And finally, I’ve got to tip my hat to the production and arrangements. These songs sound earthy and rough, but not necessarily rough to the point where you notice it immediately. I didn’t feel like it was overly polished, digital or over produced to the point of annoyance… and I like that. There’s also a subtlety to the arrangements on some of these songs that really works, putting emphasis where necessary without beating you over the head with it… and I like that as well.Overall I got to say, the Darrin James Band was quite a pleasant surprise to what I was expecting and they’ve really got my attention. Maybe at times they get a little too close to Dylan (if you really want to find something to complain about), but it’s never a rehash and is musically full of surprises. I’m definitely glad I checked out their music and will be looking forward to hearing the album in it’s entirely, any new music, and hopefully seeing the band live eventually. I bet they can really stretch out into a great blues jam.

Indie A'na Jones - As a resident of Brooklyn’s uber-trendy Williamsburg, it might have been quiet easy for Darrin James to get wrapped up in current fads of the music scene. Despite lacking the indie façade or better yet “Arcade Fire-ness” that the pretentiously cultured neo-hipsters wet themselves over, the earthy roots rock that characterizes James’s music has the quality of something real and something tangible.While the majority of the album is straight roots rock, the title track, Thrones of Gold, blends a little more country and soul. Conjuring the heartland - let’s call it Americana, let’s call it music for the everyday blue-collar man (or woman) – his course vocals and folky twang are a force to be reckoned with.A few months back, I hopped the L to the Lorimer stop to see the Darrin James Band play at Pete’s Candy Store. I dug the place, as it really agreed with my tastes: reasonably priced beer, a free folk music rag to read while I waited, and none of those thrift store frequenting, one pant leg rolled up posers that infest the rest of Williamsburg Arriving at 10:07 p.m. on a Wednesday and waiting another twenty minutes for the previous act to finish up, Darrin’s crew got the closing slot, following a tremendously talented female singer/songwriter who had the placed overflowing with people. Playing to a mixed bag of late 20 to early 40 year olds, they all have jobs and you could just sense the internal debate: “Man, the train runs so slow after 11, should I get out of here, well, maybe I’ll just hand around for one song.” The venue was very intimate, like a wide hallway with two-chaired tables lining the walls and only a narrow walkway in between. 45 minutes, a couple of refreshing beverages, and a great performance later, almost the entire crowd was intact (with just a few jumping ship). And yeah, getting back on the train took forever, but I’m pretty sure everyone who stuck it out, myself included, thought it was worth it. So, catch Darrin playing in Brooklyn and NYC, as well as select dates throughout the Northeast.

BabySue Magazine (May 2007) - Genuine, good, simple Americana pop/rock in the same general vein as artists like John Cougar, The Replacements, Leonard Cohen, and Bob Dylan. Thrones of Gold is the debut album from the Darrin James Band. Many folks are bound to be impressed at how unpretentious this music is. Rather than jump on predictable bandwagons, James and his bandmates play simple, classic guitar pop that could easily be appreciated by millions of people. Darrin's songs are straightforward and real...presenting thoughts and ideas that most people should be able to identify with. If you're looking for the weirdest new underground band of the month, you probably won't be impressed with this. But if you're in the market for some good, hummable music that touches on real human topics...Thrones of Gold just may end up being your favorite album of the year. Quality cuts include "Trivial," "Thrones of Gold" (our favorite), "Had Enough of Me," and "In the End." (Rating: 4+++++)

Da Blues (Dutch - May 2007) - "distinctive rock with refreshing and emotional lyrics"

American Songwriter Magazine (Nov/Dec 2006) - The song Thrones of Gold, won 3rd place in a Lyric Writing Contest from American Songwriter Magazine. The lyrics appeared in the Nov/Dec 2006 issue.

International Songwriting Competition (2006) - The song Had Enough of Me, was a semi-finalist in the jazz category at the International Songwriting Competition (ISC).