For a man who wears so many hats Darrell Kelley does not appear to have a swollen head. Like his music he comes across as a down to earth kind of guy who’s just happy to be alive and to be able to enjoy the privilege of making those around him happy as well. For him, music is a way to express his beliefs and share his views with anyone who will listen. And listeners are beginning to listen to what he has to say.
Storm Is Coming is the self-released EP from a self-made man. Kelley is a business entrepreneur who was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and made the move to Georgia where he opened a successful dining establishment which he donned with the appetizing appellation Soul Delicious. Not only do diners enjoy his southern soul food fare they’re able to dine to the accompaniment of carefully chosen Soul, Gospel and R&B tunes while they eat. The Gospel selections are especially important because Darrell is also a Pastor for The Temple of UWGEAM (an acronym for God of the universe, God of the world, God of all gods, God of everything and God of anything including me).
UWGEAM, the name of the Temple where he serves a different form of food for the soul from that which is served at his restaurant, is derived from the title of a book he authored, The Book of UWGEAM. Within its covers he provides a summary of how through love, unity and respect a better way of life is accessible to all. Considering the reoccurring theme threaded through and left like clues in all he’s involved in it would not be much of a reach to dub Darrell Kelley as a genuine example of a living, breathing Soul Man. Especially when you factor into the equation the music he writes, records and releases on his own.
His four song EP opens with a track which bears the same tag as the Storm Is Coming compilation. It begins with Kelley delivering an evangelical like sermon where he warns, “If you believe that God is the shelter that you can come in and get saved from the Storm, let God be your shelter! Let Him protect you from the hard times that are headed our way…” From there you’re told about what this Boston born visionary sees in the pending storm and then instructed to how to weather through the damage and detritus he predicts it will leave in its wake. Whether you personally believe if the end is near, or if the sky is falling, many will agree we are undoubtedly living through some very tumultuous and scary times with, sadly, little light visible at the end of our mortal tunnel.
This he follows up with a hand clapping revival meeting sounding number labeled as Man of God. It’s full of swooshing Hammond organ bursts, sliding glissandos, horns galore, inverted chord structures pounded out on a Fender Rhodes piano, silk robed Hallelujah church choirs and all set against a ticky-ticky-tacky-tick-tick-tacky unison note repeated on the electric guitar. Kudos to the un-credited drummer who sat in for that session behind his tightly tuned kit and turned in a truly heavenly percussive performance on this one. I do have one bone to pick though. Where was that obligatory tambourine?
Just when you expected Darrell Kelley would carry on with the Old Testament style of the first two cuts he takes an unexpected turn to round off the Storm Is Coming EP with Oh Lord I Need A Favor, Shut Her Up! Politically incorrect as that statement may be perceived these days it’s a ditty that’s delivered in such a tongue in cheek fashion that you can tell he’s just having fun with us here. This nod and a wink with a mischievous glint in his eyes, and a turn away from doom and gloom, ends up being carried through on Sit Your Rump Down, which closes out the set. It calls out the false prophets in religion in such a way that I’m prompted to end this review with a single word. Amen.
