Search - John Gorka :: So Dark You See

John Gorka has always been one of the premier songwriters in folk music and with So Dark You See, he offers up yet another masterpiece. The record is powerful, vibrant, intelligent and tender. The 16 tracks dazzle with a freshness that appeals to a broad spectrum of fans yet holds to that classic Gorka sound making this one of his strongest recordings of his career. With a provocative, soul-stirring, sophistication, John turns keen observations of the troubles and rough roads we travel during tough times into musical gems that shine with a hopefulness in a dark time. Songs like "Whole Wide World" and " Mr. Chambers" are pop-infused folk at their best with choruses that hook you in while "Where No Monument Stands," "Ignorance and Privilege," and " Diminishing Winds" are as contemplative as they are clever. Among John's prolific originals are his compelling reinterpretations of Utah Phillips' "I Think of You," "Trouble in Mind" by Richard Jones and Michael Smith's "The Dutchman." As all great songwriters do, John pushes his own musical boundaries with his first recorded instrumentals "Fret One" and "Fret Not." These two songs have as much of an emotional impact as the others, but allow John to showcase his raw talent as a musician. On So Dark You See, John Gorka delivers an ambitious and striking collection of songs with a thematic complexity that digs into the darkness of the human condition and drags it back out into the light. Like the lone skeleton of a tree on the cover that has weathered the storm, Gorka's words part the clouds to reassure the listener that once you can see through the darkness there is hope on the horizon.