"It's a quiet treasure from a name to note."
Rock n'Reel magazine

"A second installment of passionate and economic songwriting from Darren, with a basically traditional feel but over-laying incisive contemporary commentary. Invariably set to bold, attractively rich string-assisted textures involving the assistance of Messrs Broughton, Swarbrick and Dempsey. Both delivery and content prove very pursuasive"
fROOTS magazine

"One gets the feeling that this represents the early days in a career that has the potential to give rise to an impressive and influential body of work"
Green Man Review

"a really strong effort this. Black possesses everything you need in a great folk musician and has now produced an album worthy of that status"
FOLKING.COM

"'Thinkers And Fools' is mature and genuinely poetical. Darren has found a new radiant sound which should propel him to a position alongside any of the new breed of folk performers"
SPIRAL EARTH

"It should be a welcome addition to any collection of folk music"
TAPLAS magazine

"It continues where Silent Poetry left off, forming a second instalment of purposeful, passionate songwriting. Darren has a real flair for the keen economic expression of incisive contemporary commentary through lyrical, sometimes quasi-traditional-feeling musical settings...a persuasive and thought-provoking set of new songs that will stand the test of time"
NETRHYTHMS

"A thought-provoking and sonically luscious piece of work"
Shreds+Patches magazine

"Winchester-based s/s performs his own purposeful songs; his attractive writing style is tempered with both poetry and realism, his own instrumental accompaniments (guitar or fiddle) both thoughtful and masterful. Blessed with an unassumingly natural recording (from Swarb's home studio, no less), this disc turns out to be quite a grower in fact."
fROOTS magazine

"These songs are sung with a passion and poetry which gives the listener a sense of purpose to the material...it contains 9 strong tracks which should make Black a household name on the UK folk and acoustic music scene"
Darren Beech, FOLKING.COM

"A delightfully sparse recording allowing Black's enchanting voice the freedom to soar above his musical accompanyment and enabling the listener to focus on his elegiac lyrics. Charismatic and frenzied fiddle playing...lyrical astuteness throughout...blessed with an incisive flair for blurring the boundaries between the traditional and contemporary. Silent Poetry is a remarkable achievement that could quickly establish Black as one of the foremost songwriters and performers in British folk music."
Mike Wilson, GREEN MAN REVIEW

"From the off Darren convinces us of the importance of the subject matter applying all the prowess of a versatile and talented storyteller...gratifying sensitivity and propulsive flourishes...coupled with a voice that has a gentle burr and a resilient edge...Like the best folk songs these feel that they have a purpose beyond entertainment. They spark our minds and inform us of how rich and varied life can be"
Dave Kushar, SPIRAL EARTH

"Folk music is about telling a story. It's sad that in many an instance, the singer isn't able to connect with the listener and that story goes unheard. The power of Darren's voice pulls the listener into the story he's telling, holds them there and his story is told."
Jarvis Hammond, A YEAR OF FESTIVALS