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Mark Erelli – Delivered
Over the past 9 years Mark has been steadily gaining the reputation of one of the most talented writers and gifted musicians on the American folk scene; he’s covered varied ground on his albums, ranging from the Western Swing of ‘Hillbilly Pilgrim’ through to the delicate acoustic ballads of ‘Innocent When You Dream’.
For ‘Delivered’ (and the previous Signature Sounds release ‘Hope and Other Casualties’), he’s settled into a timeless, classic folk singer/songwriter groove where gritty, honest songs reflecting the world around us mix with personal songs – it’s well trodden ground, but Erelli’s lyrical and musical intelligence marks him out as one of the very best around.
‘Delivered’ is a meaty album with songs that are fuelled by contemporary politics and emotion, the thoughtful and powerful ‘Volunteers’ provides the centrepiece of the album, it may be the quietest track on the disc but the lyrics, performance and delivery of the song make it a piece of writing that will have an impact on everyone who hears it, regardless of their political views. This song is preceded by ‘Shadowlands’ a track that is thematically related, but is presented with distorted guitars that swagger and sneer their way through the song, bringing the power and impact of ‘Volunteers’ into even greater relief.
The range of styles is varied but perfectly balanced throughout the disc, and the 11 songs move from acoustic through to rock, stopping off at most points in-between; he’s used Josh Ritter’s band across the album, it’s an inspired move that has kept Mark’s distinctive sound while definitely added to the overall picture.
His reputation as a stellar accompanist to Lori McKenna is well deserved, he’s a multi-talented instrumentalist with a great ear for an arrangement that is fully demonstrated here, from the stark ‘Volunteers’ to well-judged balance of ‘Not Alone’ and ‘Unraveled’ this is an album of real quality throughout.
He’s certainly not afraid to address gritty issues, and he has the skill to deliver the songs in such a way that encourages the listener to think about them rather than feel they’re being preached at – the balance of songs of love & protest and resignation & redemption is perfect, and ‘Delivered’ is an exceptional piece of work throughout.
ERELLI MARK - DELIVERED
Erelli Mark
CD (Cat No: 13389)
ERELLI MARK - DELIVERED
