Don Gallardo & How Far West

“The music is great. Lovely tracks, if you are a fan of the Ryan Adams style of alt-country.”
- DJ Ralph McLean BBC Ireland Ulster - - DJ Ralph McLean BBC Ireland Ulster

"Don Gallardo then served up rock solid Americana in the vein of Greg Trooper and other songwriters with big dreams and small hats. In an easy voice he sang warnings of forgetting your home and taking time for granted. All good words set to fine tunes."

A San Francisco to Nashville transplant who's impressing the best in Americana. - Craig Havighurst & Music City Roots

Don Gallardo is a resident of the city of Nashville. He is also a hard-working folk-rock singer who, alone or with his band How Far West, plays about 100 times per year occurs. "When The Daylight Whispers Darling ...." is the fourth album by this artist from ...Tennessee. The music of Don Gallardo I place in the Americana and folk rock genre. From the first listening I was immediately hooked. The sound is as recognizable as the themes of broken relationships and unrequited love. The tasteful songs with catchy song structures thus easily thrive.

It's an album on which instruments such as acoustic and electric guitar, pedal steel, mandolin and drums shall prevail. A special place is reserved for the violin and cello. On "When The Daylight Daylight Whispers ..." lets Gallardo through to hear a thoughtful gift to have to write songs. Nine original songs and many cover versions of song The Long Black Veil of the deceased at the age of 84 Danny Dill adorn a CD, a tireless solid impression. Gallardo does meet a musical mission with music that touches people, moves and delights.
- Johan Schoenmakers of www.AltCountryForum.nl

I recently stumbled upon an extremely impressive Nashville singer/songwriter by the name of Don Gallardo. I have not been terribly impressed with much coming out of Nashville lately but I have found that anyone persistent enough to muddle through the mountain of bad rock music being sold as country can find the occasional diamond in the rough – Don Gallardo is one of those rare gems… Don’s writing style harkens back to a time when Nashville was overflowing with great storytellers.

Don Gallardo’s newest offering entitled “When The Daylight Whispers Darling…” is an impressive effort. A collection of ten songs that have become a welcome addition to my day. From Time Pass By, a catchy tune about the inescapable reality of the passage of time, to the melodic story of life, according to Don, in Skin and Bones and closing with a haunting story of lost love in Wichita. I have truly enjoyed listening to this CD and I highly recommend it to fans of great songwriters. I will keep Don Gallardo on my radar and I hope to follow-up with reports on his future progress… - Chris Harkness at No Depression Magazine & MM55 Productions

His spare arrangements use pedal steel and country-rock harmonies worthy of the Eagles at their most antiseptic, but Don Gallardo performs the neat trick of constructing easygoing music that comes by its irony naturally. A native of Fairfax, Calif., Gallardo did time in Los Angeles before moving to Nashville four years ago. He's a careful singer who writes intelligently about the boredom and charm of small-town life — his 2008 EP Regards to the Season peaked with "Anytown, USA," which undercut detachment with affection. Such tunes as "Home" and "Tennessee Skyline" sported tough guitar licks, woozy hooks and offhand lyrics. "We'd be just ghosts floating by / In the key of C," he sang in "Take Me Home." His new full-length When the Daylight Whispers Darling ... is his strongest effort yet: country-rock with brains, charm and experimental impulses that are perfectly integrated into a familiar context.
— Edd Hurt
- Nashville Scene

Nashville’s resident indie-folkster Don Gallardo returns with his latest collection When The Daylight Whispers Darling, which is the follow-up to 2009’s Sweetheart Radio Revolution, etc. Accompanied by backing band How Far West and production duties helmed by Neilson Hubbard, the musical arrangements found on Daylight seem to hint that Music City’s influence has seeped into Gallardo’s songwriting style as this album sounds noticeably more country than his previous effort. This is immediately evident as a sharp twang kicks off the album’s opener “Time Pass By,” which is accentuated with an abundance of Dobro all over this country flavored toe-tapper. “Uh oh you got a long way to go before yesterday gets here/Don’t let the time go and pass you by,” intones Gallardo as he instantly and irresistibly draws you into this freshly released musical offering.

Following the album’s introduction is “Home,” which is rife with ample amounts of mandolin and pedal steel throughout its upbeat refrains. This subsequent track contains all the musical ingredients of a modern-day folk-rock classic. Its pragmatic lyrics “Home is in your heart/Everywhere you’ve been my friend is home” make this slice of musical Americana pure joy to hear and sing along with as it sets the stage for the album’s moody, homespun theme of love, loss and locales for the rest of the album.

Things slow down for a moment with “Rosalee” and “Come Together, Fall Apart.” These two ballads are but two of the record’s highlights, which can only be described as beautifully depressing in a way that could almost equate itself to the likes of Robert Smith’s most exquisite and tuneful melancholia.

The disc’s second half begins with the stripped acoustic sound of “Skin and Bones,” followed by the mid-tempo “Let Me Be Your Man.” Both songs are highly memorable and shining examples of how powerful lyrics can be when adhering to the musical adage of less is more. The sparse yet effective instrumentation underscores the power of the heartfelt lyrics, “If I was the night sky would you be the stars above/And if I was the river bed then let the water be your love/And if I was an island would you be the sea/Out there with no one else but your waves that cover me.”

All 10 tracks were written or co-written by Gallardo, with the exception of a cover version of “Long Black Veil.” Covered by numerous artists including Dave Matthews and Johnny Cash, this classic country tale about a man who has been falsely accused of murder, fits in surprisingly well alongside Gallardo’s original material. “Veil” has been ingeniously included shortly before the eerily haunting ode “Wichita,” which wraps up this highly memorable and enjoyable musical expedition.

When The Daylight Whispers Darling is generously peppered with fiddle-like violin, banjo, mandolin and steel guitar accents, yet it has a sound redolent of 1970s country-rock albums such as Neil Young’s Harvest, The Eagles’ Desperado, and Linda Ronstadt’s Simple Dreams. Gallardo’s smooth vocal style and outstanding songwriting skills are a match made in musical heaven. Fans of great songwriting and true musicianship should not let this melodious example of subtle brilliance slip by their ears. - Eric Allen at Murfreesboro Pulse

“A Heartland / Americana sound in the best tradition of artists like Tom Petty and Steve Earle.”

Først ut i dagens amerikabrev er Don Gallardo og hans nye album When The Daylight Whispers Darling. Gallardo er en singer/songwriter i folkrock sjangeren fra Nashville, med en forkjærlighet for det hjemmekjære og familiære i tekstene sine. Det er musikalsk blitt et album som ikke innehar et typisk nashvillesound, men mer et typisk heartland/americana sound i beste tradisjon etter de mest country-pregede sidene ved artister som Tom Petty og Steve Earle. Det er flere bra låter her, umiddelbare favoritter hos meg er Home, Goodnight og Wichita. Albumet kan kjøpes på iTunes her og tidligere utgivelser kan streames på Spotify her. Hør låten “Goodnight” fra albumet i spilleren under. - No Deal Music (Norway)

Nashville-based singer-songwriter Don Gallardo's newest release, When the Daylight Whispers Darling, is the follow-up to 2009's Sweetheart Radio Revolution, etc., which gained listeners and a fan-following nationwide with its folk-tinged song. But, with Neilson Hubbard (Kim Richey, The Apache Relay) at the helm producing and a new backing band, How Far West, the album's Music City inspiration makes When the Daylight Whispers Darling more country than his previous release.

Instantly, the album's country influence is obvious with the twangy opener, “Time Pass By” with a toe-tapping beat and Dobro that hooks you right away. Following the opener, Gallardo offers up another upbeat country-tinted track, “Home,” which is flooded with mandolin and words of wisdom, “Home is in your heart/ Everywhere you've been my friend is home.” This song is pure down-home goodness. Then, Gallardo slows things down with “Rosalee” and “Come Together, Fall Apart.” Two delightfully doleful ballads about lost love and a failed relationship. And, despite the sedate and stripped-down music in “Skin and Bones,” Gallardo's wise lyrics are somewhat encouraging. “Long Black Veil" is the only cover on When the Daylight Whispers Darling. Covered by many artists, most notably Dave Matthews and Johnny Cash, this track is a country tale about a man who has been wrongly accused of murder and executed because he refused to ruin the reputation of his mistress and best friend's wife. Closing the album is a sad tale of lost love in the wistful and haunting “Wichita.”

When the Daylight Whispers Darling is a charming and melodic album overflowing with wonderful country-influenced tunes. This may be Don Gallardo's best effort so far, proving he's a great songwriter with a great future ahead of him. - Common Folk Music

"Nashville-based singer/songwriter Don Gallardo sounds like a fish out of water, or at least swimming in the wrong pond. Amidst the bubblegum cowboy machine that once housed the greatness of Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Sr., and Kris Kristofferson is a sensitive, hopeful voice whose creative peers are located either east or west of his residence. Gallardo is originally from California, and it shows in the choirboy warmth of his singing and the personal touch of his lyrics. Indeed, Gallardo is as far from the Nashville cookie-cutter factory as it gets. The first track, "Sittin' on Top of the World," aims for the arena-sized, chiming riffs of U2 and Coldplay with Gallardo's vocals echoing the raspy swagger of Oasis's Liam Gallagher. If Gallardo was on a major label, there'd be no doubt that "Sittin' on Top of the World" would be sharing airspace with the likes of John Mayer and the Dave Matthews Band on commercial Triple A radio stations right now. However, no matter how big the sound gets, Gallardo's performance remains intimate and low-key; he displays impressive restraint when a lesser artist would've choked on bombast.

"Today" is closer to the roots-rock ideal that Nashville once proudly showcased. This catchy track is reminiscent of Tom Petty and the Wallflowers, combining classic-rock crunch and Americana flavors. Ringing guitars propel the wonderfully titled "Before the Devil Knows They're Dead," which should be included in a Quentin Tarantino flick. "I Give Up" has a slow, dreamy intro that provides a preview of the melancholic atmospherics that Gallardo would later unleash on "My Love for You Is Strong," one of the best songs on the album. "Shooting Star" recalls the polished jangling riffs of Del Amitri, and "One Falls In, One Falls Out" is old-school folk with a country tinge.

Unlike many of the indie acts on the alt-country circuit, Gallardo's voice is as smooth and clean as the purest water, which may lose him points from cowpunks but will win him larger crowds and more accolades in the long run. - INK 19

Whenever a poignant and well-composed work of Americana or alt-country comes out, in come the rich metaphors and comparisons to country legends and folksy supergroups like Traveling Wilburys. But in the case of Don Gallardo’s Sweetheart Radio Revolution, Etc., the comparisons are fitting.

In spite of playing famous venues all over the nation (The Fillmore and The Whiskey-A-Go-Go, to name a few) and opening for Roseanne Cash, Gallardo has kept a low profile, peddling breezy indie folk with a Western sentiment. Nashville knows what that’s about, and not surprisingly, Gallardo found a home for himself in Music City. With band How Far West, Gallardo found a home for his album as well and released Sweetheart in 2009, with a cover design produced by Nashville’s Electric Western Records.

There’s no mistake about the old-time appeal of Sweetheart, and likenesses have been drawn between Gallardo and the likes of Ryan Adams, Tom Petty and Steve Earle. Bold comparisons, yes, but not off base. As a nostalgia-kissed contemporary looking longingly to the West and into the past, Sweetheartplays out just like its name in a voice as imploring and earnest as The Volebeats, but it still has something more daring lurking underneath.

It’s adorned with the bubbling bluegrass pluck of a banjo, gentle strumming and sporadic harmonica. Mandolins and organs sing in the background. Unhurried love songs unfold like country roses when Gallardo isn’t spouting whimsical lines in laid-back sing-alongs, like in the closing track “Take Me Home” (one of the best apart from opening track, “Sittin on Top of the World) in which Gallardo says, “We’d be ghosts just floating by in the key of C.”

The album is filled with interesting lines to ponder, and even when it slows down towards the middle, it manages to pique the listener’s interest again through rustic and easy-going melodies that have slack romance and an element of danger at the core.
- - Jessica Pace of The Murfreesboro Pulse

“Sittin’ on Top of the World” opens ‘Sweetheart Radio Revolution, Etc.’. Don Gallardo throws word nudges and punches to get your attention. Lyrically, he offers a look into life, shining light into places and promises, as he finds a place to land in the opening title on “Makes it back to California”, waking up your dreams, “Before the Devil Knows They’re Dead” and open heart honesty, “Trying to Find A Home”. Don Gallardo’s voice tends to come in like a conversation, whispering and creating one on one intimacy. Confessions like “Shooting Star” make you wonder why you are not that person and get you to thinking that maybe you are. Reverie (“Days Long Gone”) finds a seat next to the very present (“Today”), turning the cards over (“I Give Up”) or folding for the night (“Take Me Home”). There are characters wearing different skin on ‘Sweetheart Radio Revolution, Etc.’. Their paths never merge but they each speak with a need to be heard, all their stories bearing the stamp of life on life’s terms.
The words and the stories they stitch move across rock framed with country soul. Don Gallardo is a Nashville based singer/songwriter and sees it as a personal sound that exists between the boundaries of Americana and mainstream Rock. The guitar called him to music environmentalism, getting a recycled second life when rescued from a neighbor’s trash. He has been in Tennessee since 2007. - The Alternate Root Magazine

"Don Gallardo plays charming, melodic, Folk-Rock with a lot of heart" - Flagpole Magazine (Athens, GA)

"Sweetheart Radio Revolution perfectly fits on American Radio. The song “I Give Up” is very tasteful." - - John Gjaltema of www.altcountry.nl

"There’s a feeling when I listen to these songs that wherever I am it’s home. He sings these songs with a full throat and a big heart." - Billy's Bunker Music Reviews

"An incredibly well-crafted album, both musically and lyrically. It's full of charm that presents a certain degree of rawness as he weaves his lyrics together capturing his emotion perfectly." - - Jeff Kurtis of Today's Country Magazine

"An engaging and tuneful album that will appeal to fans of Tom Petty, Ryan Adams, Steve Earle, with a hint of Paul Westerberg. Without a doubt one of the better Alt-Country/Americana releases I've come across this year." - Absolute Powerpop