| Mark Erelli ≡ Deliverance (2008) |
Mark Erelli — Delivered
Location: Reading, Massachusetts, U.S.
Album release: September 16, 2008
Record Label: Signature Records
Genre: Folk-Rock, Contemporary Folk, Singer/Songwriter, Americana
Duration: 52:56
Tracks:
01 Hope Dies Last 6:08
02 Baltimore 4:14
03 Shadowland 4:22
04 Volunteers 5:32
05 Five Beer Moon 4:14
06 Not Alone 5:02
07 Delivered 5:02
08 Man of the Family 5:59
09 Once 3:51
10 Unraveled 3:19
11 Abraham 5:12
Website: http://markerelli.com/
Review by Alex Henderson / Rating: ****
∩ Mark Erelli has never been a groundbreaking or terribly original artist, but when it comes to providing thoughtful, compelling folk-rock and Americana, he is a masterful expert -- and those who have admired the East Coast singer/songwriter's previous work will find that his excellence continues to hold up on Delivered. This 2008 release contains a few amplified rockers, including "Shadowland" and the somewhat Bruce Springsteen-ish "Baltimore." But much of the time, Erelli favors an unplugged and decidedly minimalist approach -- which works well for him because using fewer instruments makes his lyrics stand out more. Delivered is highly contemplative, and one of the things Erelli contemplates is politics. He gets very political on songs like "Volunteers," "Shadowland," and "Hope Dies Last," all of which are on the melancholy side. Erelli takes a look at political topics -- the Iraq War, George W. Bush's disastrous presidency, turmoil in the Middle East -- and he doesn't give the listener a lot of reason to feel optimistic about the state of the world. Not that Delivered is an exclusively political album; actually, only about one-third of the songs are political in nature. And whether Erelli is being political or not, the influences that have worked well for him in the past -- influences that include Bob Dylan (a major influence), Springsteen, John Hiatt, and Neil Young -- still serve him well on Delivered. Released about ten years after Erelli recorded his self-titled debut album, Delivered is his seventh release on Signature Sounds and isn't the least bit disappointing. (Allmusic.com)
Credits:
♦ Matt Beaudoin Mixing
♦ Chris Boerner Engineer
♦ Wes Corbett Banjo, Featured Artist
♦ Matt Duglas Featured Artist, Flute, Sax (Alto), Sax (Baritone)
♦ Tom Eaton Engineer
♦ Mark Erelli Composer, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Guitar (Resonator), Guitar (Tenor), Harmonica, Hi String Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals
♦ Matt Fleming Design
♦ Zack Hickman Audio Production, Bass (Electric), Bass (Upright), Clarinet (Bass), Engineer, Featured Artist, Guitar, Guitars, Harmonica, Keyboards, Percussion, Producer, Pump Organ, Toy Piano
♦ Liam Hurley Drums, Featured Artist
♦ Sam Kassirer Engineer, Featured Artist, Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Vibraphone
♦ Jeff Lipton Mastering
♦ Eric Merrill Engineer
♦ Peter Nelson Composer
♦ Austin Nevins Featured Artist, Glockenspiel, Guitar (Baritone), Guitar (Electric)
♦ Aoife O'Donovan Featured Artist, Vocals
♦ Eric Platz Featured Artist, Percussion
♦ Chris Rival Engineer, Vocal Engineer
♦ Alec Spiegelman Clarinet (Bass), Featured Artist
♦ Gabriel Unger Management
Mark Erelli Biography:
∩ Ever since his debut at 24 years old, Mark Erelli has exhibited an uncommon musical maturity. In a few short years, he's got four albums to his name, over 700 concerts under his best, and multiple awards. During a time when most young artists are still searching for their own voices, he has quietly built one of the most impressive and varied reputations in modern roots music. On his latest album, Hope and Other Casualties, he ups the ante, with a brave and searingly honest tour de force, cementing himself as one of the best young male singer/songwriters on the scene today. Hope and Other Casualties is an unapologetic and timeless collection of deeply personal and affecting songs, effortlessly moving from songs of love, politics, family, resignation, and redemption. Infused with heartfelt song-craft, invigorating tempos, and arresting melodies Erelli has crafted a near-perfect and career- defining album.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/markerelli
♦ We cannot be delivered from one thing without being delivered into something else, which is to say, without being changed. It’s an apt title for Erelli’s new collection, produced by Zack Hickman (Josh Ritter). "Delivered" is a recording born of change, a reckoning of new things seen and old things seen anew. From the stark, first-take of “Volunteers,” to the slashing, Neil Young and Crazy Horse treatment given to “Shadowland,” from the stirring crescendo of horns that ends “Not Alone,” to the Paul Simon-esque bounce of “Once,” "Delivered" is the sound of a confident artist in complete control of his dynamic musical range. All the talk of new voicings and instrumentations would seem a bit academic, if not for the plain fact Erelli, frankly, sings his ass off,,,,In all regards, “Delivered” delivers. ..
© On Lori McKenna's tour bus, photo by Ron Wurzer
© Photo by Nancy Giroux 
© Photo by Polly Mathewson
© Photo by Diana Pappas, www.flickr.com/photos/dianapappas
| Mark Erelli ≡ Deliverance (2008) |
Mark Erelli — Delivered
Location: Reading, Massachusetts, U.S.
Album release: September 16, 2008
Record Label: Signature Records
Genre: Folk-Rock, Contemporary Folk, Singer/Songwriter, Americana
Duration: 52:56
Tracks:
01 Hope Dies Last 6:08
02 Baltimore 4:14
03 Shadowland 4:22
04 Volunteers 5:32
05 Five Beer Moon 4:14
06 Not Alone 5:02
07 Delivered 5:02
08 Man of the Family 5:59
09 Once 3:51
10 Unraveled 3:19
11 Abraham 5:12
Website: http://markerelli.com/
Review by Alex Henderson / Rating: ****
∩ Mark Erelli has never been a groundbreaking or terribly original artist, but when it comes to providing thoughtful, compelling folk-rock and Americana, he is a masterful expert -- and those who have admired the East Coast singer/songwriter's previous work will find that his excellence continues to hold up on Delivered. This 2008 release contains a few amplified rockers, including "Shadowland" and the somewhat Bruce Springsteen-ish "Baltimore." But much of the time, Erelli favors an unplugged and decidedly minimalist approach -- which works well for him because using fewer instruments makes his lyrics stand out more. Delivered is highly contemplative, and one of the things Erelli contemplates is politics. He gets very political on songs like "Volunteers," "Shadowland," and "Hope Dies Last," all of which are on the melancholy side. Erelli takes a look at political topics -- the Iraq War, George W. Bush's disastrous presidency, turmoil in the Middle East -- and he doesn't give the listener a lot of reason to feel optimistic about the state of the world. Not that Delivered is an exclusively political album; actually, only about one-third of the songs are political in nature. And whether Erelli is being political or not, the influences that have worked well for him in the past -- influences that include Bob Dylan (a major influence), Springsteen, John Hiatt, and Neil Young -- still serve him well on Delivered. Released about ten years after Erelli recorded his self-titled debut album, Delivered is his seventh release on Signature Sounds and isn't the least bit disappointing. (Allmusic.com)
Credits:
♦ Matt Beaudoin Mixing
♦ Chris Boerner Engineer
♦ Wes Corbett Banjo, Featured Artist
♦ Matt Duglas Featured Artist, Flute, Sax (Alto), Sax (Baritone)
♦ Tom Eaton Engineer
♦ Mark Erelli Composer, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Guitar (Resonator), Guitar (Tenor), Harmonica, Hi String Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals
♦ Matt Fleming Design
♦ Zack Hickman Audio Production, Bass (Electric), Bass (Upright), Clarinet (Bass), Engineer, Featured Artist, Guitar, Guitars, Harmonica, Keyboards, Percussion, Producer, Pump Organ, Toy Piano
♦ Liam Hurley Drums, Featured Artist
♦ Sam Kassirer Engineer, Featured Artist, Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Vibraphone
♦ Jeff Lipton Mastering
♦ Eric Merrill Engineer
♦ Peter Nelson Composer
♦ Austin Nevins Featured Artist, Glockenspiel, Guitar (Baritone), Guitar (Electric)
♦ Aoife O'Donovan Featured Artist, Vocals
♦ Eric Platz Featured Artist, Percussion
♦ Chris Rival Engineer, Vocal Engineer
♦ Alec Spiegelman Clarinet (Bass), Featured Artist
♦ Gabriel Unger Management
Mark Erelli Biography:
∩ Ever since his debut at 24 years old, Mark Erelli has exhibited an uncommon musical maturity. In a few short years, he's got four albums to his name, over 700 concerts under his best, and multiple awards. During a time when most young artists are still searching for their own voices, he has quietly built one of the most impressive and varied reputations in modern roots music. On his latest album, Hope and Other Casualties, he ups the ante, with a brave and searingly honest tour de force, cementing himself as one of the best young male singer/songwriters on the scene today. Hope and Other Casualties is an unapologetic and timeless collection of deeply personal and affecting songs, effortlessly moving from songs of love, politics, family, resignation, and redemption. Infused with heartfelt song-craft, invigorating tempos, and arresting melodies Erelli has crafted a near-perfect and career- defining album.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/markerelli
♦ We cannot be delivered from one thing without being delivered into something else, which is to say, without being changed. It’s an apt title for Erelli’s new collection, produced by Zack Hickman (Josh Ritter). "Delivered" is a recording born of change, a reckoning of new things seen and old things seen anew. From the stark, first-take of “Volunteers,” to the slashing, Neil Young and Crazy Horse treatment given to “Shadowland,” from the stirring crescendo of horns that ends “Not Alone,” to the Paul Simon-esque bounce of “Once,” "Delivered" is the sound of a confident artist in complete control of his dynamic musical range. All the talk of new voicings and instrumentations would seem a bit academic, if not for the plain fact Erelli, frankly, sings his ass off,,,,In all regards, “Delivered” delivers. ..