5/5 Absolutely worth adding to any collection
  by Jan Hoadley
From the opening strains of "Honky Tonk Life" this is a good time cd with some fun stuff, some serious stuff and the laugh out loud good time of "Don't Show Up". There's the romantic laid back "Tequila On Ice", the perceptive "Slow Dancin' With a Memory" and the powerful closing song "You Never Know." From start to finish, good writing, good delivery and a celebration befitting the title - indeed it "Sounds Like Life." Whether kicking back in the evening or listening in the car - worth buying!

5/5 INTERESTING PIECE OF TRIVIA ON 'YOU NEVER KNOW'
  by Mike Mcguire (Muscle Shoals, AL)
Here's an interesting piece of trivia for all of Darryl's fans that might also be fans of the country group SHENANDOAH.

The song 'You Never Know' was written about Shenandoah's bass player Ralph Ezell who had just died 4 days earlier. Shenandoah drummer, Mike McGuire is one of the writers of this song.

Ralph flew to South Dakota to play a gig at a casino with another band and died while there in his hotel room. Saddened after hearing the news, Mike and co-writers Billy Ryan and Jimmy Yeary wrote 'You Never Know' as a tribute to their fallen friend and brother. So when the song starts out with "He kissed his wife at gate number five, headed on another red-eye flight", that was the inspiration.

For anyone that has lost a loved one, whether it be a sister, a brother, a father or a mother, or even just a friend, this song will for sure pull at your heart strings. Hold your bic lighters up high!!

4/5 Not quite perfect, but pretty darned good
  by terpfan1980 (Somewhere near Washington DC, United States)
Ooooooh how I wish for the ability to use half stars in the ratings as I feel sad giving this collection (I want to use the world album but that just seems wrong when talking about CDs or MP3s) 4 stars when it seems better than that while not quite perfect. Why not quite perfect? Well, as I've been taught repeatedly when being reviewed in the work place there's almost always room for some improvement and the only known individual to have ever walked on water was a biblical character ;-)

Honestly, this album (see, there's that word), is pretty darned good and nearly perfect for fans of Darryl Worley. For those that aren't fans yet, well, please drink up a few samples here and see what myself and other reviewers are talking about (at least other reviewers that are positive towards Darryl Worley ;-) )

The collection starts with Honkytonk Life which has a sound similar to Sounds Like Life or other previous Worley singles (I'm thinking Awful Beautiful Life as an example). It's a nice upbeat song and helps to pull you into the album and warm you up for what is to come.

From Honkytonk Life we jump into Best of Both Worlds which seems a fitting title as that tune provides something of a transition to other styles that show up in this album.

Slow Dancin' with a Memory mellows things out a bit, though it works well leading into Sounds Like Life. It's a good story telling song with a nice piano melody in the background.

Sounds Like Life (the title track) was released as a single a few months back (at the time this review is being written). At the time I snagged it and happily listened to it repeatedly. True to the title, the lyrics sound just like life to me as Worley spins a tale of someone that is apparently feeling the weight of the world on their shoulders even as they are apparently missing all of the things they should be celebrating. At the time I reviewed that tune a few others complained that the song comes off as if the singer is a bit too arrogant and uncaring for his friend. Perhaps it is all in your perspective, as I saw the song as more optimistic and encouraging than those listeners had.

Sandwiched between the title track and Tequila on Ice is the first song that somewhat reminds me of a name I'm going to toss in later: Delbert McClinton. That song is titled Doin' What's Right. There's a hint of blues and rock that just reminds me of Delbert McClinton's style.

Things certainly slow down for the next track, the aforementioned Tequila on Ice. That track was actually released before Sounds Like Life and that song was what started me on what seemed to be a long wait for this collection. I enjoyed that track a lot, as it mixes sounds of the islands/beaches in a manner similar to Kenney Chesney or perhaps king parrothead Jimmy Buffet, though probably more similarly to Alan Jackson's (with Buffet) It's 5 o'clock Somewhere.

Everyday Love seems to be a bit more of a traditional Worley song. Back to storytelling and celebrating.

Money swings back towards blues and funk and invokes more of the McClinton feel. That feel comes back more forcefully in the tune that follows: Don't Show Up (If You Can't Get Down) which also brings in a virtual Who's Who of musical talent, all seeming to have a good time.

Messed Up in Memphis has a beat that reminds me of older country music. Perhaps a bit like I'd expect to hear as part of a Western movie soundtrack. There's also a hint of Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits guitar stylings that comes through (somewhat Brother's In Arms-ish).

The slower ballad You Never Know follows that song. The story of the song will perhaps remind listeners somewhat of Worley's earlier song: If Something Should Happen. The styles aren't the same, but the stories seem quite similar. If Something Should Happen was somewhat more upbeat even in delivering a heavy message. You Never Know is slower, more melodramatic and some might say much more sappy.

Some outlets offer an additional track not found (currently) in the album offering here by Amazon. That track is the tune Katie's Song. That song is available for separate download or as part of an album that was released to help a worthy charity (We Are Enterprise: The Album to Benefit The Rebuilding of Enterprise High School). It's a beautiful song and well worth purchasing, as is all of the content of that collection.

Despite being saddened by having to wait for this album, and even more saddened to not see it showing up as a featured download on it's release date (and somewhat mad and frustrated that the album doesn't even show up in advertising inserts in this past weekend's newspapers), it was worth the wait and even more worth the purchase for me. Don't just cherry pick a few songs, grab the whole enchilada and sit and swig on the Tequila and the Sounds of Life.

5/5 ~nice variety of music~
  by Joey Sciarra (Connecticut)
This CD contains a wide variety of good songs, and an even wider variety of musical genres. The first single, "Tequila on Ice", is a little bit similar to Kenny Chesney's Island style music -- but is done in Darryl Worley's unique style. Very relaxed, and a nice laid-back summer song. His current hit which is riding up the charts, "Sounds Like Life To Me", is classic Darryl Worley -- singing the type of music which he does the best. It's becoming a big hit single, and is just what he needs to get back in the spotlight.

"Messed Up In Memphis" is another awesome song, which is very different than anything on the radio right now. It reminds me a little bit of classic 70's music -- but again it's done in Darryl's own way. "You Never Know" is a very touching song which is definitely hit single material. It seems like a nice, powerful, radio friendly song...with well written lyrics.

I can't write a review about the album without mentioning the song "Don't Show Up (If You Can't Get Down)". Wow...what is there to say about a song like that? Where do I begin? You really have to listen to it to understand, but there are a slew of other artists featured in the song -- ranging from Mel Tillis all the way to Smashmouth. I wouldn't be surprised to see this single get a "vocal event of the year" nomination at one of the award shows! Overall, this album features a wide variety of very good music, and I would definitely recommend checking it out!!!