If you love to snowboard, this album hits you where you sit. Written by a man who knows how to shred on a board and how to appreciate the sweetness of being able to shred on a board, Darin's songs illuminate the beautiful soul of riding and the spectacular setting of Tahoe. Greatest. Snowboard Album. Ever.

There is a thing in the music business that is peculiar to new artists, and it can be frustrating: in order to break into the business they need to offer something unique and new, but the market wants to know who the artists are “like”. Rockers like Aerosmith? Folk-flavored like John Mayer? Party music a la Jimmy Buffet? Country “hat act”? What if that artist really is unique, with his own sound, his own style, his own lyrical voice, his own irrepressible personality? That’s Darin Talbot. Ok. If I had to pick a sound-alike, I’d pick Jim Croce, but their songs aren’t alike, so that’s as far as I’ll go. This snowboarder from Lake Tahoe – a fine guitar player, and a writer who shares his heart and soul in his songs – has a voice that turns from powerhouse to sweet, and flips from rich baritone to perfect falsetto with so little effort it’s almost scary. Where’d he learn to sing like that, huh? Don’t try to pin his songs down either. I’d say he’s telling the guy’s story (Without the Words) sometimes, but some songs are about Everyperson. whether it’s deep love (The Day) or deeper despair (Will). There’s no formulaic blues head or standard song form holding these tunes back. Each one works on it’s own, weaving extended metaphor and fresh new melodies. His infectious personality, wacky wit, and genuine warmth make him a pretty irresistible performer. It doesn’t hurt that he’s obviously energized by an audience, too. He’s havin’ fun up there, man! Yeah. That’s the way it’s supposed to be.

Darin Talbot “Big Air”; Air Tahoe Records Singer-songwriter Darin Talbot knows how lucky he is to live at Lake Tahoe. And he can’t stop writing songs about it. His third album “Big Air,” due Nov. 4, is his first with a new backing band, but third with the Tahoe theme. His original songs have been described as similar to James Taylor, Jimmy Buffett and, most recently, Jack Johnson, but the former seem to apply here more than the latter. The album opens with a remake of his own “Tweeker Shred Master,” amped up into a ska version. The other acoustic-based songs include more stories of life at the Lake, snowboarding, and the dogs and girls that live there around him. A standout track here, “Boarder Girl,” bears a striking resemblance to Beck’s “Jackass.” — Jason Kellner

There's a cadre of folks who have been secretly longing for music such as this. Big Air might just have you grinning peacefully at your computer while you plug at work, and feeling very free in your car on the way to a day at the slopes.