For those unaware, Destinations 2 is a follow up to Multi-instrumentalist & Classical Violinist Darryl Ways critically acclaimed album Destinations, which was voted #3 in Goldmine Magazines top 100 albums of 2020.

Prog Rock said of this album: This is Guitar Hero as arch-melody maker, putting his chops in service of each songs mood. This is an artist searching for and finding a fresh way to express his unquestionable talent.

This exquisite 12-track travelogue captures in beautiful cinemascope a vista to some of our planets most breath-taking scenery.

Each piece is accompanied by Darryls written synopsis offering the listener an insight into the stories and musical ideas behind each track.

1. ALHAMBRA KNIGHTS
2. MOTHER EARTH
3. BANQUET OF THE VANITIES
4. CAFE DE PARIS
5. COLOMBIAN GOLD
6. OCEAN BLUES
7. CHOCTAW RIDGE
8. RIO GRANDE
9. VEGAS
10. FIESTA MEXICANA
11. HUNGARIAN RHAPSODY
12. ACROSS A RIVER WIDE (THE IMMIGRANT SONG)

This quite perfect shot-in-the-arm and antidote to lock-down opens on the translucently Asia-imbued ALHAMBRA KNIGHTS and the more ethereal MOTHER EARTH and backs those up with the dance rock of BANQUET OF THE VANITIES, the sweeping French ambiance of CAFE DE PARIS and then we get both the frenetically challenged COLOMBIAN GOLD and the quieter ebb and flow of the aptly-named OCEAN BLUES.

Next up is the gently funky CHOCTAW RIDGE and the hot summer nights hue of RIO GRANDE, which are in turn backed by the upbeat and perky duo of VEGAS the FIESTA MEXICANA, with the album rounding out on the achingly poignant notes of HUNGARIAN RHAPSODY, closing on the only vocalized track, the optimistically-imbibed ACROSS A RIVER WIDE (THE IMMIGRANT SONG).

Talking about his new album Darryl says: Like ‘Destinations, Destinations 2 sets out to take the listener on a journey to far off and exotic locations, something that in reality is very difficult for us to do at the moment.

These tracks are journeys of the mind and are my interpretation of the atmospheres and music of each different location, from Sun Baked Mexico to Bohemian Budapest.

Set mostly in a Rock format, the tracks are tempered by my new found love of playing the Guitar and my continuing love for playing the Violin."

So the pieces themselves lean towards genres where the Guitar and Violin are features of that particular style."

However, when the music needs to be more expansive, I have not been able to resist orchestrating it for full orchestra, giving the piece more cinematic depth.

As this music is essentially Program Music, I have also included in the sleeve notes of this album my descriptions of the pieces. As with works like Vivaldis Four Seasons and Berliozs Symphonie Fantastique, it is sometimes helpful for the listener to know what the composers original intentions were.

Having said that, I am just as happy for the listener to make up their own stories for the music.

Finally, I hope you enjoy this album as much as I did creating it. - Darryl Way (2021)

Official CD Purchase Link

www.cherryred.co.uk