A singer and songwriter whose music fuses country, folk, rock, and blues with a literate but unpretentious lyrical perspective, Darden Smith is an artist whose music has evolved steadily over the course of his career. Early albums, such as Native Soil (1986) and Darden Smith (1988) put his country and folk leanings up front. By 2002's Sunflower and 2004's Circo, he had turned down the twang in favor of a spare, smoky folk-rock tone that suited the emotional terrain of his songs, exploring the soul with compassion and steely honesty. While his music grew more introspective with time, 2017's Everything and 2022's Western Skies were the work of an artist who could still speak to his listeners with warmth and intimacy.