FREE: Daryl Hall LAUGHING DOWN CRYING CD NIP

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The first few gentle acoustic guitar strums on leadoff track "Laughing Down Crying" sound like classic Eagles. It's the perfect way to begin this warm-sounding record that seems as if it were created at, well ... Daryl's house. This is a low-key, inviting, sensational album from start to finish. There's no gloss, just authentic songs written by an artist who's stripping down his sound to the basics -- "Chicken Soup for the Soul" type of music.

"Laughing Down Crying" has a grounded, organic feel, yet the songs are diverse. Snippets of the CD are cheerily played on the show "Live from Daryl's House," and hearing them in their entirety eventually brings on a familiar feel, like you've known this music forever. With effortless flair, Hall can do country ("Laughing Down Crying"), peppy pop-rock ("Talking to You" and "Message to Ya"), smooth 1970s soul ("Lifetime of Love"), gospel ("Save Me") and lighthearted blues ("Problem with You").

Amid all the great songs are true standouts, with sounds that hearken back to classic Hall and Oates of the 1980s. "Eyes for You (Ain't No Doubt About It)" is the "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" of this generation, an impossibly catchy, pop-soul track that would have been a No. 1 hit back in the day. Deeper into the CD, Hall breaks into more ethereal territory with the mid-tempo gems "Wrong Side of History" and "Get Out of the Way," my favorite tunes.

You'd never know it by its cozy, grooving, free-flowing sound, but the making of "Laughing Down Crying" was not without some rock 'n' roll drama. Sadly, Hall's longtime guitarist, T-Bone Wolk, passed away during the making of the record. Luckily other musicians, including the amazing Paul Pesco, were brought in to bring it to completion. The overall results are fabulous ... bring it on home.