Mark Alexander - After The Rain

Hear The Track Here

A new name from MP3 Unsigned Mark Alexander is a contemporary acoustic artist (but don't mention the folk word OK because that just makes him angry) and if Deggsy likes him (which he does) then he's quids in. The reason I know Deggsy likes him is because he said so in the song comments and the man knows his stuff so it's an even bet that this artist veers towards the easy listening side of the spectrum, and Deggsy likes the smooth stuff. As much as the comments come up time and again with the old 'this sounds like the Beatles' routine, I couldn't see that at first because I was too busy goggling at the beautiful piano structure.

This is some nice pee-anny playing and no mistake...

If it is in any form reminiscent of the Beatles, he has to be one the Mcartney side because there are shades of Macca all over this track; from the classic arrangement to the instrumentation. Best guess has to be The Long and Winding Road which has a similar feel. Considering that this is home recorded and produced this is a very tasty slice of production values; clean, clear sound, beautifully rounded tones (particularly the piano) and despite the fairly crowded outro nothing steps on anything else's toes. That, my friends, is a really difficult trick to pull off in a studio let alone in any home recording environment so - on that score alone - After The Rain is worth a serious listen.

I'm an absolute sucker for a good song, and I don't particularly care what genre it's in. That means a beginning, a middle and and end; with good, intelligent lyrics and vocals that put across those lyrics with meaning and conviction. Although I personally could have done with a little more meat on the individual instruments, I couldn't find anything really wrong with this track and an indecent (nay obscene) amount of things that are so right it'll make you puke. Not sure about the sugary pathos this track wallows in, but by gum if I were Mark Alexander I would be feeling pretty smug right around now because this is a great song, extremely well done on all counts. Believe me, I TRIED real hard to find something amiss with this track but that ****** is just too good. A very welcome introduction to an artist I'll be wanting to hear more of.

Recommended.