Mark Eitzel | ||
| Allmusic Biography : One of the most celebrated and idiosyncratic American songwriters of his generation, Mark Eitzel is best known as the leader of the iconic indie rock band American Music Club, who spun beautifully chaotic webs of guitar from Eitzels gloomy but compassionate studies of lost souls and alcohol; since striking out on his own, Eitzel has embraced a number of different musical approaches, while his witty but downcast lyrical style has remained constant. John Mark Eitzel was born in the Northern California town of Walnut Creek on January 30, 1959. Eitzels father was an engineer who worked for the United States Army, and as a consequence his family moved frequently, with the Eitzels living in Okinawa and Taiwan before settling in Great Britain for several years. While in Asia, Eitzel and his older sister became fascinated with pop music, and though Mark had developed a taste for confessional singer/songwriters such as Joan Armatrading and Leonard Cohen while living in the U.K., as a regular reader of New Musical Express he became fascinated with the first wave of punk rock in 1977, and seeing a show by the Damned and the Adverts encouraged him to begin writing songs of his own. (By this time, Eitzel had also embraced and rejected Christianity, and began combating his social awkwardness by drinking heavily.) A few months later, Marks family returned to the United States and settled in Columbus, Ohio, where Mark enrolled at Ohio State University. At OSU, Eitzel bonded with members of Columbus tiny punk rock community, and joined a band called the Cowboys. While the Cowboys initially played only covers of well-known punk favorites, in 1980 they cut a single of two original tunes, "Teenage Life" b/w "Supermarket," which became Eitzels first commercially released recording. Only a few months after releasing their 45, the Cowboys broke up, and Eitzel formed a new group, the Naked Skinnies, with Eitzel on guitar and vocals, Nancy Kangas (whom Eitzel would call his muse and who became a figure in a number of his songs) on organ, John Hricko on bass, and Greg Bonnell on drums. The Naked Skinnies released a single in 1981, "All My Life" b/w "This Is the Beautiful Night," before moving to San Francisco. While the Naked Skinnies gigged occasionally in California, their recordings disappeared in a robbery at the bands house, and after Eitzel angered local music promoter Dirk Dirkson with a deliberately confrontational performance, they were blackballed from most San Francisco venues, leading to the groups breakup in 1982. While planning his next move, Eitzel continued to write songs, and in 1982 he released a cassette-only album of dissonant original material called Mean Mark Eitzel Gets Fat. The cassette received little notice, and in 1983 Eitzel began playing at a San Francisco coffee shop called The Tattoo Rose, which featured a weekly songwriters night. Soon one of Eitzels friends, Brad Johnson, began sitting in on upright bass, and when guitarist Scott Alexander came aboard to make Eitzels act a trio, the leader came up with a purposefully nondescript name for the act: American Music Club. The initial three-piece version of American Music Club dissolved after a year, and a variety of musicians floated in and out of the lineup (including former Naked Skinnies drummer Bonnell) before the group shared a bill with a band called the Farmers. The Farmers featured guitarist Mark Pankler, who used the stage name Vudi; hed witnessed the Naked Skinnies show that angered Dirk Dirkson and was quite impressed, and after being reacquainted with Eitzel, the two struck up a friendship. When the provisional AMC lineup fell apart, Vudi put together a new band for Eitzel. With Eitzel on vocals and acoustic guitar, Vudi on lead guitar, Dan Pearson on bass, Brad Johnson moved to keyboards, and Matt Norelli on drums, this would be the first edition of American Music Club that would reflect Eitzels promise as a songwriter, singer, and frontman. In 1985, American Music Club recorded their first album, The Restless Stranger, with producer Tom Mallon, who would later replace Norelli on drums. While AMCs lineup would evolve over the next several years, the groups recordings began earning enthusiastic reviews in America and the United Kingdom, and in 1991, the groups fifth album, Everclear, became a critical smash and a modest independent success. The relative success of Everclear led to AMC signing with Reprise Records, but while their major-label debut, 1993s Mercury, was another creative triumph, it failed to connect with a larger audience, despite the bands growing following in the United Kingdom, and after 1994s San Francisco failed to click critically or commercially, American Music Club broke up. Ironically, the same year that Everclear gave AMC a modest breakthrough, Eitzel had released a solo album, Songs of Love Live, taken from a solo acoustic performance in London. In 1992, Eitzel issued a solo single, "Take Courage," through Matador Records, and in 1996, Eitzel made his official solo debut with the jazz-influenced 60 Watt Silver Lining, released by Warner Bros. The album received mixed reviews and poor sales, but for 1997s West, Eitzel collaborated with R.E.M.s Peter Buck, who co-wrote the melodies and produced the sessions. The relatively upbeat album won rave reviews and sold better than its predecessors, but it wasnt the commercial breakthrough Warner Bros. was hoping for, and Eitzel was dropped by the label. Undaunted, Eitzel reconnected with Matador Records, who issued the stark 1998 set Caught in a Trap and I Cant Back Out Cause I Love You Too Much Baby. Eitzel had developed an interest in electronic music, and on 2001s The Invisible Man, he fused a number of his melodies with synthesized backings he produced and performed himself. (While touring in support of The Invisible Man, Eitzel sold an album at his merchandise table called Superhitsinternational, which was the second of several limited-edition tour-only releases Eitzel would make available to his fans.) Eitzel took a vacation from songwriting for his next two projects: 2002s Music for Courage and Confidence found him interpreting the work of a handful of other noted songwriters, and 2003s The Ugly American consisted of new recordings of American Music Club favorites, with Eitzel backed by a group of Greek folk musicians. In 2003, American Music Club reunited for a series of live shows, and the following year they released a new album, Love Songs for Patriots, which saw Eitzel emphasizing the political themes in his songwriting. (A live recording from the tour following Love Songs, A Toast to You: Live in Pittsburgh received belated release in 2011.) Candy Ass, in which Eitzel further explored electronic music, was released in 2005 to lukewarm reviews, and in 2006 he co-founded the Undertow Orchestra, a collaborative project with David Bazan (of Pedro the Lion) and Vic Chesnutt. The Undertow Orchestra dissolved after a single tour, but recordings of the group appeared on Eitzels limited-edition release Ten Years of Tears. Eitzel and Vudi next teamed up to form a new group called the MacArthur Park Music Club, with Sean Hoffman on bass and Steve Didelot on drums. However, after discovering there was limited commercial interest in the new band, Eitzel and Vudi opted to call it American Music Club, and released the album The Golden Age under that name in 2008. The tour that followed proved contentious, and the band broke up. In 2009, Eitzel began a collaboration with playwright Simon Stephens to create the stage musical Marine Parade, with Stephens writing the book and Eitzel penning the music and lyrics. The show debuted at the 2010 Brighton Festival, and received mostly positive reviews; two songs that appeared in the show popped up on Eitzels 2009 album Klamath. In the spring of 2011, while Eitzel was writing and recording demos for a new batch of songs, he suffered a severe heart attack, but had recovered well enough by the end of the year to begin recording with producer Sheldon Gomberg, whose services were secured when one of Eitzels friends won the lottery and used part of his winnings to pay Gombergs fee. The album, Dont Be a Stranger, was released by Merge Records in the fall of 2012. In 2017, Eitzel released Hey Mr. Ferryman, a new collection of songs recorded in England with former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler, who produced and played guitar, bass, and keyboards. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 13 Title: Songs Of Love: Live at the Borderline 1-19-91 Released: 1991 Tracks: 13 Duration: 44:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Firefly (03:40) 2 Chanel No. 5 (04:16) 3 Western Sky (03:51) 4 Blue and Grey Shirt (03:19) 5 Garys Song (02:54) 6 Outside This Bar (03:40) 7 Room Above the Club (02:40) 8 Last Harbour (05:01) 9 Kathleen (02:36) 10 Crabwalk (02:26) 11 Jennie (02:24) 12 Take Courage (03:55) 13 Nothing Can Bring Me Down (04:12) |
 | Album: 2 of 13 Title: 60 Watt Silver Lining Released: 1996-03-19 Tracks: 12 Duration: 54:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 No Easy Way Down (03:39) 2 Sacred Heart (03:57) 3 Always Turn Away (04:26) 4 Saved (05:00) 5 Cleopatra Jones (04:12) 6 When My Plane Finally Goes Down (04:15) 7 Mission Rock Resort (04:34) 8 Wild Sea (04:37) 9 Aspirin (04:44) 10 Some Bartenders Have the Gift of Pardon (05:18) 11 Southend on Sea (04:08) 12 Everything Is Beautiful (05:12) |
| 60 Watt Silver Lining : Allmusic album Review : When Eitzel disbanded American Music Club, he also made a break with anything to do with alterna-rock. 60 Watt has a clean-sounding, torch-to-jazz sort of ambiance, more VH1 adult rock than MTV. Because of 60 Watts glossy textures -- odd from someone who disowned AMCs masterful San Francisco for being "too commercial" -- its hard to get into this at first. But when the initial disappointment dissipates, one encounters an LP almost as formidable and somber as any of AMCs works from United Kingdom on. Sadly, Eitzel has abandoned the startling, desperate bellow that scared the bejesus out of listeners on the likes of "Kathleen" or "Ex-Girlfriend," but hes just as terse in sneering "youre worried if you remembered to use bleach to clean your needle/well so what" ("Mission Rock Resort"), or just as quietly despairing when repeating "Im always alone" ("Sacred Heart") as on any of his previous, more desolate excursions through his trampled heart. On the lesser material, his coffee-tempered voice, evocative words, and brooding textures still jolt. On the stronger songs, such as the jaunty "Southend on Sea" and "Cleopatra Jones," the lithe "Sacred Heart" and "Always Turn Away," and the disquieting "Everything is Beautiful," his lyrical prowess softly decimates. This is best heard on the song he wants Barbra Streisand to record, the surprisingly warm "Saved," a truly moving knee-knocker that Eitzel croons as if hes about to burst into tears from loss of control as much as any sense of joy or relief. An extraordinary LP, but one that might be avoided by all but the already committed. And that would be a shame; Eitzel is as much an American original, a bag of immense and underappreciated riches, an antidote to the sterility and stupidity of modern rock. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 13 Title: West Released: 1997-05-05 Tracks: 12 Duration: 53:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 If You Have to Ask (04:20) 2 Free of Harm (03:21) 3 Helium (05:22) 4 Stunned & Frozen (05:10) 5 Then It Really Happens (04:27) 6 In Your Life (04:04) 7 Lower Eastside Tourist (03:48) 8 Three Inches of Wall (04:47) 9 Move Myself Ahead (03:34) 10 Old Photographs (05:21) 11 Fresh Screwdriver (03:59) 12 Live or Die (05:14) |
| West : Allmusic album Review : For his sophomore solo effort, West, Mark Eitzel teamed with R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck; given that several of the songs recorded during the sessions were originally intended as material for Bucks day job, its no great surprise that the album sounds much like R.E.M. circa Out of Time or Automatic for the People, favoring gorgeously spare acoustic arrangements. Eitzel has never sounded looser or more carefree than he does here -- tracks like "Free of Harm" and the exhilarating "In Your Life" are positively sunny by his usual standards, upbeat declarations of love and commitment lifted by Bucks trademark guitar jangle; even the drinking songs, like "Fresh Screwdriver," offer an uncharacteristic ray of hope. Still, while West is an improvement over Eitzels solo debut, 60 Watt Silver Lining, it nevertheless suffers in comparison to his work with American Music Club; without the galvanizing eclecticism of his old band, his songs occasionally lack distinction, but at his best -- the opening "If You Have to Ask," "Then It Really Happens" -- Eitzel remains one of the most transcendent figures on the musical landscape. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 13 Title: Caught in a Trap and I Cant Back Out Cause I Love You Too Much, Baby Released: 1998 Tracks: 11 Duration: 42:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Are You the Trash (01:56) 2 Xmas Lights Spin (04:45) 3 Auctioneers Song (04:10) 4 White Rosary (03:54) 5 If I Had a Gun (04:17) 6 Goodbye (04:43) 7 Queen of No One (04:01) 8 Cold Light of Day (03:10) 9 Go Away (04:00) 10 Atico 18 (03:54) 11 Sun Smog Seahorse (03:13) |
| Caught in a Trap and I Can't Back Out 'Cause I Love You Too Much, Baby : Allmusic album Review : Neither as polished and loose as West nor as studiously serene as 60 Watt Silver Lining, Caught in a Trap and I Cant Back Out Cause I Love You Too Much, Baby is the liveliest record Mark Eitzel has recorded since the demise of American Music Club. Eitzels songs always flourish when stripped down and delivered directly, and the stark production of Caught emphasizes his wry lyricism and wrenching emotions. Much of the music on the album was written before West, his collaboration with Peter Buck, and the songs do sound like a bridge between that record and 60 Watt. In many ways, its his finest solo record yet, because the largely acoustic setting is quite affecting, and the handful of electric tracks -- recorded with Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley and Yo La Tengo bassist James McNew -- have a nervy power reminiscent of the best AMC tracks. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 13 Title: Eitzel Superhits International Released: 2001 Tracks: 10 Duration: 36:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 The Man With the Hole in His Foot (04:12) 2 1000 Miles (03:43) 3 Highway 40 (03:10) 4 Hold Me (04:20) 5 Charm School (03:14) 6 Come In (04:24) 7 Will You Ever Make Room at Your Table (03:43) 8 Kristin Intro (02:28) 9 Liberace and His Relationship to the 20th Century (02:53) 10 Tomorrow (03:51) |
 | Album: 6 of 13 Title: The Invisible Man Released: 2001 Tracks: 13 Duration: 53:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Boy With the Hammer (05:53) 2 Can You See? (03:01) 3 Christian Science Reading Room (03:44) 4 Sleep (05:17) 5 To the Sea (03:08) 6 Shine (04:27) 7 Steve I Always Knew (04:02) 8 Bitterness (04:07) 9 Anything (05:01) 10 Without You (04:07) 11 The Global Sweep of Human History (04:08) 12 Seeing Eye Dog (02:56) 13 Proclaim Your Joy (03:08) |
| The Invisible Man : Allmusic album Review : Mark Eitzel seems to have had no problems writing songs since the breakup of American Music Club, but finding a musical setting for them that suits him as well as AMCs brooding folk-punk has proven to be a daunting task. After the neo-jazz of 60 Watt Silver Lining, the warm R.E.M.-ish pop of West, and the stark postmodern folk of Caught in a Trap..., Eitzel takes yet another left turn with The Invisible Man, his first album after a three-year layoff. This time out, Eitzel has built his arrangements around spare keyboard lines, atmospheric electronic samples, and percussion loops that blend with his voice and acoustic guitar to create an effect that suggest a more spare, organic version of Portishead, or a Jon Brion production thats stuck in a blue funk. But the new surroundings suit the songs quite well, and surprisingly enough, by Eitzels standards The Invisible Man doesnt sound especially doomstruck. Anyone looking for his usual failed-romantic gloom will find plenty of it on songs like "Sleep," "Bitterness," and "Steve I Always Knew," the latter in a take markedly superior to that on the limited-edition Lovers Leap USA. But theres also a haunting wistfulness to the lovelorn "Anything" and "Without You,"; "Can You See" and "Seeing Eye Dog" are love songs that at least acknowledge the possibility of a functional relationship with wit and compassion; and the surreal humor of "Christian Science Reading Room" is a welcome reminder of how funny Eitzel can be when he feels like it. And the final track, "Proclaim Your Joy," is shocking in its good cheer -- its a goofy Lou Reed-esque talking blues that winds into a rollicking singalong chorus thats the most life-affirming message Eitzel has offered to date. As a writer, Eitzel hasnt sounded this warm and approachable since American Music Clubs California, and musically, this his most satisfying work since going solo; on all levels, The Invisible Man is an experiment that succeeds. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 13 Title: Music for Courage & Confidence Released: 2002 Tracks: 10 Duration: 41:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Snowbird (03:45) 2 Aint No Sunshine (04:34) 3 Do You Really Want to Hurt Me (04:13) 4 Help Me Make It Through the Night (03:48) 5 I Only Have Eyes for You (03:33) 6 Gentle on My Mind (03:13) 7 More, More, More (04:56) 8 Move on Up (05:35) 9 Rehearsals for Retirement (04:03) 10 Ill Be Seeing You (03:19) |
 | Album: 8 of 13 Title: The Ugly American Released: 2003-07-22 Tracks: 10 Duration: 41:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Western Sky (04:58) 2 Here They Roll Down (03:37) 3 Jenny (03:19) 4 Nightwatchman (04:52) 5 Take Courage (03:23) 6 Anything (04:01) 7 What Good Is Love (03:13) 8 Will You Find Me (04:06) 9 Last Harbor (05:41) 10 Loves Humming (04:23) |
| The Ugly American : Allmusic album Review : After recording a set of idiosyncratically rendered cover tunes on 2002s Music for Courage and Confidence, Mark Eitzel has chosen to take a revisionist look at his own back catalog, with a decidedly unexpected twist, for this set. On The Ugly American, Eitzel has re-recorded nine songs he wrote during his tenure with American Music Club (along with one likeminded cover) in collaboration with a group of Greek musicians, who accompany him on bouzouki, mandolin, and zourna, as well as the more traditional guitar, bass, and drums. While at first the idea might sound like some sort of practical joke to some fans, the execution is genuinely impressive; the musicians are gifted and tasteful enough not to overstate the Hellenic accents of the new arrangements (especially Manolis Karantinis on mandolin and bouzouki and Manos Ahalinotopoulos on winds and reeds), and the mysterious Mediterranean sounds of the instruments mesh quite well with the minor-key moods of Eitzels songs, not unlike the work of another great failed romantic who came to love Greek music, Leonard Cohen. Best of all, Eitzels vocals are superb, sounding supple and beautifully modulated on every cut, and his English-language adaptation of producer Manolis Famellos "Loves Humming" suggests Eitzel found himself amidst kindred spirits during his stay in Athens. While Mark Eitzel probably wouldnt be well advised to take on Greek music as a full-time pursuit, The Ugly American is certainly a fascinating and pleasurable detour that casts some of his best songs in a new light, and once again demonstrates how beautiful and heart-wrenching they can be. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 13 Title: Candy Ass Released: 2005 Tracks: 12 Duration: 50:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 My Pet Rat St. Michael (03:28) 2 Cotton Candy Tenth Power (04:44) 3 Make Sure They Hear (05:40) 4 Sleeping Beauty (03:41) 5 A Loving Tribute to My City (03:47) 6 Homeland Pastoral (04:52) 7 Roll Away My Stone (03:36) 8 Green Eyes (03:15) 9 Cobh (03:09) 10 I Am Fassbinder (04:26) 11 Song of the Mole (03:35) 12 Guitar Lover (06:13) |
| Candy Ass : Allmusic album Review : After American Music Club made their critically lauded return to active duty with 2004s Love Songs for Patriots, the bands revitalization seemed to unwittingly point out how uneven Mark Eitzels solo work had been, and how badly he needed a strong and consistent set of collaborators to bring out the best in his songs -- while hed made some fine records on his own, he also seemed to lack a firm sense of what to do or where to go, and for every triumph like West there was a misfire such as Music for Courage and Confidence. Candy Ass unfortunately tends to confirm this notion; following in the path of 2001s The Invisible Man, Candy Ass largely finds Eitzel exploring his interest in electronic music, with most of it apparently recorded by the artist all by his lonesome. While The Invisible Man found Eitzel finding a warmth and humanity deep in his masses of loops and samples, Candy Ass sounds considerably colder and less inviting, and the several instrumental cuts on the album are a severe miscalculation -- the mans lyrics have always been his greatest strength, and his work in electronics doesnt carry the same strength as his elemental guitar work, though the harrowing "A Loving Tribute to My City" suggests this may not always be the case. And while "My Pet Rat St Michael" and "Sleeping Beauty" show that Eitzel can still write with a bracing power and emotional force, much of the rest of Candy Ass just doesnt connect. Once upon a time, Mark Eitzel seemed incapable of writing a bad song, and while that doesnt quite happen on Candy Ass, enough of the album comes close enough to suggest this guy needs to hook up with American Music Club again, and soon. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 13 Title: Klamath Released: 2009-10-26 Tracks: 12 Duration: 43:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Buried Treasure (02:17) 2 Like a River Thats Reaching the Sea (03:42) 3 The Blood on My Hands (04:01) 4 I Miss You (04:55) 5 I Know There Is Someone Waiting (02:46) 6 What Do You Got for Me (03:32) 7 The White of Gold (04:39) 8 I Live in This Place (03:41) 9 Why Im Bullshit (04:30) 10 Remember (02:56) 11 Antennas (03:44) 12 Ronald Koal Was a Rock Star (02:48) |
 | Album: 11 of 13 Title: Dont Be a Stranger Released: 2012-10-02 Tracks: 11 Duration: 43:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Love You but Youre Dead (04:36) 2 The Bill Is Due (03:12) 3 All My Love (05:08) 4 Oh Mercy (04:03) 5 Costumed Characters Face Dangers in the Workplace (02:30) 6 Why Are You with Me? (03:20) 7 Lament for Bobo the Clown (04:57) 8 Break the Champagne (03:36) 9 We All Have to Find Our Own Way Out (04:19) 10 Youre Waiting (04:48) 11 Nowhere to Run (03:11) |
| Don't Be a Stranger : Allmusic album Review : Dont Be a Stranger appeared after a difficult period for the eternally gloomy Mark Eitzel -- following the release of American Music Clubs fine but overlooked 2008 album The Golden Age, the band fell apart, presumably for the last time, and after Eitzels solo album Klamath was (barely) released in 2009, little was heard from him until the spring of 2011, when it was revealed hed suffered a severe heart attack. So the mere fact that Eitzel is alive, well, and recording is encouraging news, and though Dont Be a Stranger is a few steps short of a triumphant return to form, its easily Eitzels strongest solo effort since 2001s The Invisible Man. Time has begun working some changes on Eitzels voice, smoothing out the grain of his instrument, easing up on its physical force, and suggesting a bit less control on numbers like "The Bill Is Due," "I Love You But Youre Dead," and "Nowhere to Run." But the intelligence of his phrasing is as impressive as ever, and his ability to inhabit his lyrics is complete. Eitzels songwriting remains his greatest strength, and if his last few solo efforts were unfortunately inconsistent, this shows the excellence of the material on The Golden Age was no fluke (and he revives one song from that set, "All My Love," found here in a jazzier piano-based arrangement). Eitzels witty but pointed self-loathing takes center stage on "Why Are You with Me" and "Oh Mercy," while his portraits of lives in the balance on "Youre Waiting," "Lament for Bobo the Clown," and "Nowhere to Run" confirm he hasnt lost his vision, or his flinty but sincere compassion. And fans put off by Eitzels (sometimes if not always successful) experiments with electronics will be encouraged by the warm, organic sound of this material, which suggests the spare, eloquent surfaces of AMCs more subdued work. (Vudi even pops up on one track.) Emotionally powerful, darkly beautiful, and troubling yet genuine at the same time, Dont Be a Stranger is the sort of album only Mark Eitzel could make, and if its not always as strong and as focused as one might hope, it honors his muse better than he has on his own in some time, and shows this master songwriter still has some worthy stories left to tell. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 13 Title: Glory Released: 2013-01-18 Tracks: 12 Duration: 42:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 The Road (04:02) 2 I Missed You (03:41) 3 I Hope We Can (02:35) 4 To Live (05:02) 5 You Know No Ones There (03:51) 6 Its Alright (02:43) 7 Robs Your Grave (03:14) 8 Numbers (02:07) 9 Hells Angel (03:51) 10 Last 10 Years (04:29) 11 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes (03:26) 12 Lemme Hear the Music (03:15) |
 | Album: 13 of 13 Title: Hey Mr Ferryman Released: 2017-01-27 Tracks: 11 Duration: 50:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Last Ten Years (04:17) 2 An Answer (04:36) 3 The Road (05:21) 4 Nothing and Everything (04:17) 5 An Angel’s Wing Brushed the Penny Slots (04:08) 6 In My Role as Professional Singer and Ham (05:27) 7 Mr Humphries (04:52) 8 La Llorona (04:27) 9 Just Because (04:51) 10 Let Me Go (03:44) 11 Sleep From My Eyes (03:59) |
| Hey Mr Ferryman : Allmusic album Review : Released a year after Mark Eitzel was nearly claimed by a heart attack, 2012s Dont Be a Stranger was an impressive album that was his strongest bit of record making in years. But the album sometimes suggested Eitzel was pacing himself, that he wasnt working at full strength as a singer or instrumentalist, and its tentative qualities seemed built into the songs and the music. Four-and-a-half years later, 2017s Hey Mr. Ferryman finds Eitzel sounding more confident and physically stronger than on his previous effort. Eitzels vocal style is a few shades more subdued than in his glory days in American Music Club, but theres a cool but effective passion and force at work on songs like "The Road" and "La LLorona" that strikes right through the heart. As a songwriter, Eitzel is in typically impressive form, from the harrowing story of an abusive relationship in "Nothing and Everything" and a snapshot of a widower turned broken, small-time gambler in "An Angels Wing Brushed the Penny Slots" to an artful but bitter portrait of a holiday spent with hateful distant relatives in "In My Role as a Professional Singer and Ham." And for Hey Mr. Ferryman, Eitzel found a splendid collaborator in former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler, who produced the album as well as handling most of the instrumental work. Butlers arrangements give the melodies the right degree of window dressing, and they complement the weight of the tunes beautifully. While the result is somewhat low key by Butlers standards, Hey Mr. Ferryman has a sense of drama and a musical depth that puts it in a league with Eitzels best work, both as a solo act and with American Music Club. This is smart, passionate music, as strong musically as it is lyrically, and like so much of Eitzels work, if it isnt always hopeful, its full of a humanity that shines out through the darkness. | ||