DARIUS DEGHER: Rhyme in the Wreckage

Local songwriter Darius Degher’s slice-of-life compositions have always been elevated by his raspy vocal delivery. As the years have turned into decades, his writing has only gotten more incisive—and his vocals have grown only more frayed, adding even more authenticity to his own performances of his songs.

Rhyme in the Wreckage, his latest release, does introduce a bit of a new wrinkle to his recording history, though: the first half of the album consists of duets with women singers.

San Diego Music Hall of Famer Cathryn Beeks provides low-key vocal harmonies on the opening track, “Ode to California.”

It’s an oddly discomfiting song, singing the praises of a state that’s never really existed except in chamber of commerce brochures—with the occasional jab thrown in to let the listener know that Degher is in on the irony:

Your sparkly cities on the coast
Where glass skyscrapers rise
Your artists and bohemians
With poetry in their eyes
Leading universities
where the laureates present
Charming hillside bungalows
Where we cannot afford the rent

Later he sings of the “miracles and Frankensteins” created in our state.

His daughter Cleopatra joins him on two songs, “Cards with Hearts” and “Musings on the Morning Metrolink (Riverside).” The father-daughter combo achieves the kind of warm vocal harmonies that only come from years of musical familiarity.

Another daughter, Cordelia, joins him on “One Main Said” and “How Is It a Hummingbird.” As with Cleopatra, Cordelia’s rich vocal harmonies provide a nice balance to their father’s rough-hewn vocals.

And “Hummingbird” is a lovely paean to wonder:

How is it a hummingbird can migrate all those miles and know the way
When I’ve got spinning satellites and I can’t even navigate my day

Perhaps the most musically interesting track is “The Premonition,” where he is joined by Cindy Lee Berryhill (like Beeks, a San Diego Music Hall of Famer). Full of double-entrendres regarding earthquakes and sex, Berryhill provides a call and response as well as vocal harmonies. But unlike Degher’s daughters, Berryhill’s vocals are nearly as raw as his own. With an accordion providing much of the backdrop, it’s a fun, edgy song.

Degher sings solo on the five songs that close out the album, including the closing track, “Ode to California (Long Version).”

From daydreaming in his garden to people watching while riding his bicycle to trying to figure out relationships, each song exhibits Degher’s sharp eye not only for the details of daily life but his ability to see the indistinct shapes and shadows behind the details as well.

Even if you don’t normally listen to lyrics, Degher’s sharp wit is likely to prod you to focus and pay attention to what he has to say.