Pastoral music is at the very foundation of what the American songbook is made of. Scarcely has there ever been a time in which the players in this genre have had as much access to international audiences as they do right now, and this has been influencing a lot of artists to take a more diversified approach to their songcraft – save for those like Daryl Mosley.
In his new single “A Life Well Lived,” we aren’t greeted with elements of a crossover nor something that could just as easily have been written for another player in another genre well removed from the Nashville scene. On the contrary, this is the kind of track that reminds me of the old school tent poles of country music as we came to know them at the height of its past popularity, and they’re presented in such a casual fashion that it never sounds like we’re listening to someone’s feeble attempt at a throwback. Mosley is a new face to me and a lot of other critics right now, but in this single, he’s sounding like someone we can trust to make smart country in 2023.
The string play has an almost buoyant quality to it in this mix that is largely emphasized because of the gentle tone the vocals have, and while I might have gone with something just a little more rigid had I been the one in the producer’s chair, it makes a lot of sense why Mosely would want as much of the spotlight on the harmonies as much as he did here.
There’s a broadness to the way this single was arranged that almost demands a little extra moxie from behind the mic, and he’s more than willing to oblige; after all, with nothing to challenge him for supremacy of this performance, there’s no one to stop him from being as bold with his melodic presence as possible. It’s bewitching and very focused, and likely going to be something that a lot of fans immediately connect with when they sit down to hear this track for the very first time. “A Life Well Lived” haunts us with its narrative but, perhaps more importantly, it’s the manner of execution its creator employs in this piece that leaves me with the most questions about what his next release is going to look and sound like.
Those of us who live for a solid country jam have a really interesting player in one Daryl Mosely right now, and I’ve got a strong feeling that this showing is going to be the first of many headline-makers his camp is going to offer in 2023. There’s something rather relaxed about the way he approaches the heaviest moments in “A Life Well Lived,” and it makes me curious to find out how far he can go with this swagger, especially sans a band to step between his ambitious concepts and the finish line. I’ll be looking out for more of this music, and I think you would be wise to do the same.
Chadwick Easton