Darryl McCarty - The Speed of Light

After playing with bands like Chasing Arcadia and The Ceramic Flowers London, Ontario native Darryl McCarty has struck it solo and is prepared to release his debut solo album The Speed of Light later next month. From the album, you’d think McCarty is from London, England, not Canada, because The Speed of Light plays like a history lesson of the UK’s last three decades of indie and Brit Pop. Songs like “Strong Wind” and “Where We Begin” could have easily come out of the late eighties or early nineties. For a solo album, McCarty has achieved something great and rarely achieved on a debut record by anyone.

I’ve been trying to decide if he sounds more like Bono or Tom Petty, because, strangely, there are elements of both, but I’m going to go with the latter, for I don’t wish comparisons of U2 on anyone. Admittedly, McCarty does sound a lot like Bono, and whether he’s influenced by him or not, The Speed of Light sounds like every decent, non-annoying aspect of U2 with a humbler, more-restrained setting. This album is truly the work of a single individual, and playing almost every instrument himself except for the drums, there is a wonderful, organic mood to the entire album.

McCarty takes a lot from some of the greatest Brit Pop out there, and simultaneously tears away any bombastic qualities of the genre with his quieter, homespun melodies, but nevertheless manages to pull off quite the impressive album for something recorded largely by one person. “Misunderstood,” for example, is a perfectly simple and quaint song, but it’s wonderfully technical and polished for the circumstance. Filled with wholly enjoyable melodies and competent instrumentals, this is nothing short of a beautiful debut from Darryl McCarty. The Speed of Light will be released March 30th.