New York, NY (Top40 Charts) �People spend their life avoiding feelings,� Australian artist Marcus Blacke remarks nonchalantly, addressing the darkness attached to the songs on his Self-Titleddebut full-length. �I�m not writing songs so people can dance. I want them to know it is okay to feel something. We�re built to be melancholy sometimes. Those emotions keep us from experiencing a mediocre sense of happiness.�
�I think it is becoming progressively harder for young people to shut their minds off, because they�re constantly berated by things through their newsfeeds. I�ve always felt at odds with a lot of the things in the world,� Blacke admits, �but if you don�t feel at odds sometimes, you can never experience extreme happiness.�
Through the lens of these perceptions Blacke reveals both grace and gloom throughout the course of the record. The album�s propulsive opening track �Russian Orchard� echoes the emotions that following the evaporation of love. Contrastingly, �Only Orchid�, written on a Romainian cherry orchard, and �Smoke� which reminiscence on a lover�s wonderment at finding something as quickly as it slips through your fingers. �Sure, it was hard to let go,� Blacke admits, reflecting on each song, �However, you can�t put love in a box and watch it flaps it wings around frantically, if it wants to leave you, you have to let it and remember everything wonderful about it. You just prolong suffering otherwise.�
Deeper still are the instants where the album examines the vices of our society. Candid and direct, Blacke pushes the limits of contentment, steering the dialogue into rougher waters. Tracks like �Masters Of Eden� and �Slimey Bob� dive into the shortcomings of religion, politics, poverty and capitalism, as Blacke frantically shrieks out lines like �sold your guns now claim your freedom� and �starving children, fucking feed them.� Possessing a shadowy, yet familiar, �Walking On Sunshine� like orchestration, tracks like �Upon The Wheel� and �Masters of Eden� thrive on their unpredictable contrast of jangly piano and unapologetic content.
Possessing the wit of Bob Dylan, the dejection of
Tom Waits and the emotions of Elliot Smith, Blacke personifies the often-unrealized emotions buried deep inside all of us. Blacke�s profound, 20-something angst is perfectly married to legendary producer Malcolm Burn�s established and exclusive intricacies and layers. Burn�s insight has masterfully balanced Blacke�s raw and unique guitar style, often filled with distinct tweaking and tunings, to create an overwhelmingly sophisticated and atmospheric album.
