So I got this in the mail a few weeks ago, I remember throwing it on but I must of just quickly skipped from track to track. Well I thought  I heard it, rock singer/songwriter... right? Recently someone was asking about it, so I decided that I should give it a closer listen.  Singer/songwriter... yes, but only if I had let at least one of these tracks play all the way through I would've been instantly mesmerized.  The songs have a sorta Elliott Smith meets Doug Martsch vibe but then they invariably take a detour to somewhere solely Kid Dakota.  Darren Jackson's lyrics tell stories of hard luck that are distinctly American. Guitar, voice, and drums are layered with overdubs and unique changes that must've tested the limits of Pro-Tools. Surging strands of rock are bound together with more subtle sounds that may take a couple of listens to fully appreciate. Melancholic chord progressions push through the reverberations, pulling punches one moment and hitting you the next. The third track "Bathroom" stands out a bit from the others, a story of passing out in a restroom stall and waking the next day with hallucinations. It stops, starts, teases, flutters and revolves, then is finally overcome by a squall of distortion and feedback. The core of the album was previously self-released as an EP, now combined with three new tracks that feature Zak Sally (from Low) on bass. I hate to think that I almost missed out on this one, Kid Dakota's an amazing new artist and "So Pretty" is an incredible album. Give it a chance and I am sure you will also fall in love with it