Mike Marlin - Man on the Ground

  by Andy Cassidy

published: 29 / 1 / 2012

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Mike Marlin is not your average rock star. In 2011, at age fifty, he was chosen as HMV’s “Next Big Thing” based on his debut album 'Nearly Man'. Considering it took Mike fifty years to make his first record, it was surprising that his second album, 'Man on the Ground', followed a mere 362 days later. The track-listing for the CD version of 'Man on the Ground' made me smile, as it separates the songs into the traditional Side A and Side B format. I know this is a gimmick, but I appreciate the affectionate nod back to the good old days of vinyl. Side A opens with 'The Magician', a medium paced narrative with a full-bodied production and a wistful and laconic vocal. There is a great deal going on with the backing track, but it is clear and never cluttered. The swell of the accompaniment is uplifting and lush, and the drone that runs through the song completes the picture. It’s an accomplished opener to any album. 'This Town' has a distinctly 80’s feel to it, with shades of Gary Numan or 'Ashes to Ashe's-era Bowie. There is an urgency to Marlin’s vocal which is missing from 'The Magician', yet just as 'The Magician' never feels underplayed, 'This Town' never feels forced. Once again, the power and subtlety of the backing track are perfectly balanced, and the arrangement is superb. 'Steve McQueen', which was co-written with Eleanor McEvoy, is a poignant piano piece, which made me think of Lou Reed’s 'Transformer'. Side A closes with 'Left Behind', a simple yet affecting acoustic ballad with a well-executed double-tracked vocal. Side B opens with 'Hymn to Disappointment', also co-written with McEvoy. There is a sadness in the song, but Marlin somehow manages to rise above it with an easy vocal performance. With shades of John Grant’s 'Queen of Denmark', 'Hymn to Disappointment' is one of the stand-out tracks on a terrific album. The album closes with 'Travel the World', a sumptuous piano ballad on which Marlin duets with Eleanor McEvoy to great effect. It’s a perfect ending to the album, with shades of melancholy eclipsed by the redemptive power of love. Mike Marlin has a fantastic gift for melody, but for me it is his delivery and arrangements which are exceptional. His vocals vary between strident and lugubrious depending on the subject matter of the song and yet his singing is never over sentimental or affected. Marlin recently pledged that, from now until “the universe ends,” he will record and release an album a year. We’ve had 2012’s release. Roll on 2013.

Track Listing:-

1 The Magician
2 This Town
3 Steve McQueen
4 Lost & Found
5 Left Behind
6 Hymn to Disappointment
7 Better
8 Girl from Chelsea Bridge
9 Heartbeat
10 Grand Central Station
11 Travel The World

Band Links:-

http://www.mikemarlin.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/MikeMarlinMusic
https://twitter.com/MarlinNews
http://www.youtube.com/user/MikeMarlinTube
https://plus.google.com/102599863249518818129

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