'Man on the Ground' is the second album from British singer-songwriter Mike Marlin, who has been hailed by HMV as the next big thing. His first release took him 50 years to get out there, but 'Man on the Ground' was recorded as it was written and is due out in February, less than a year after his debut. So is this another album formulated of ideas from the inner-workings of a mature songwriter or just a speedy second release?
I'd say no, definitely not; the album has a very mature sound to it and teaming up with Catherine Marks, who not only produces but also plays piano, has made this album sound similar to some of the deeper sounding artists that are around at the moment such as Interpol and The National. Add this to Mike's Bowie-esque baritone vocals and it makes this a more-subtle sounding, heartfelt record that is an absolute pleasure to listen to.
The first single off the album, entitled 'This Town', will be released on the 23rd of this month. The track is one of the more upbeat songs off the album, with the synths during the chorus giving the song a really uplifting feel. The rest of the album is much more sombre in comparison, with songs being slower and more melodic, but equally powerful.
For me the stand out track is 'Steve McQueen', which just goes to show that all Mike needs to make a brilliant song is a piano, some basic percussion and his voice. A lot of the tracks are like this: just Mike with his guitar, maybe a piano and some very basic percussion. This gives a lot of the tracks a very personal feel to them and you can really tell that a lot of thought has been put into these songs and that each one tells a story. You'd have to be made of stone for this album not to bring a smile to your face.
The album finishes with 'Travel the World', which is a beautiful duet with the very accomplished Irish singer Eleanor McEvoy. The main focus of the song is again on Marlin's voice, which is by far the best aspect of the album, especially when complimented so well by the instrumentation on tracks such as 'Hymn to Disappointment'.
The whole album is very well put together, the songs are well written with the instrumentation working incredibly well with Mike's vocals. The songs are slow and sombre but still manage to be interesting and, at the height of the album, thought provoking. Mike Marlin is a singer-songwriter who deserves a lot more credit, especially with an album like this under his belt.
Man on the Ground will be released next month on Thursday 23rd February.
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