The glamour of old Hollywood shimmers through the neo-pop stroke of soul, Out of Control, by New England singer-songwriter Darién Castro, who holds the grace and poise of a Parisian chanteuse in the same proverbial hand as her radio-ready, swoon-worthy sensibility. Yet it feels blasphemous to play Out of Control on anything but a vintage turntable; even without static catching on the needle, warmth permeates the single made for anyone who orchestrates a private mythology in their bedroom with the door closed.
Castro finds the middle ground between reverie and the stridency of a starlet coming into her own once every prying eye falls away. The way her vocal phrasing carries composure through each emotional tremor allows desire to breathe through the intensity of her vocal melodies. The production gives her voice room to luxuriate, surrounding it with polished pop clarity while keeping the soul foundations tactile enough to almost touch.
Out of Control reminds us where R&B started and restores the blues to the genre’s bloodstream. The blues guitar solo absolutely seals the genre reverent deal, arriving with enough emotional eloquence to make a single bent note feel scandalous. Castro began performing in New Hampshire theatre companies and later worked across film and stage production, experience that explains the cinematic assurance within her performance.
Out of Control is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.
Review by Amelia Vandergast
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