Play 90 second soundbite of 'Little Piece Of Magic' @ 'CD quality'
Typically British, bordering on pop, hinting at folk, leaning towards electro-experimental, a positive juxtaposition of modern popular styles that's as charming as it is unusual. Naylor, so the story goes, writes most of his songs around a twelve-string guitar and sure, I can see that but, there's more to this than a jangly guitar and string-driven harmonics! Marvin B Naylor is quite an musical anomaly; here we have beautifully separated sounds coming from all side of the 'room' to join as one exquisite 'play on the senses' in your ears with Naylor's soft vocal renderings skipping lightly over and through the ensuing 'overture'. The result is stunning if somewhat strangely strange but oddly normal!
'The Last Flight Of Billy Balloon' is like nothing else I can think of; Naylor's quirky take on things 'popular' is pretty unique and rather compelling. This is one of those albums that will grow with time, it'll keep pulling you back, it'll beg you to revisit and re-assess, it'll grind you down in all the nicest possible ways - charming - yes, commercial - I don't know!! Marvin B Naylor is definitely offering you something removed from the norm, he's slipping you a slow acting drug for the mind, a tranquil but vibrant outing that's unusual but quite special.
Naylor's vocal work is worthy of mention - a slight vibrato, a mellow and smooth delivery, a gentle and intoxicating style that's descriptive, evocative and rich in charm. He uses his voice brilliantly to bring the words to life as his dextrous fingers play out an expressive and very appealing 'string' backdrop that's enriched with 'other' sounds and textures. Do I like it? Well, yes actually but, I'm not sure quite how I feel about it all! Certainly Naylor has put oodles of work into this project and his time and attention to detail have paid dividends in making this a very special sounding album. My main problem is with where this fits into the general scheme of things - I can see Marvin B Naylor being quite a decent 'cult' success but maybe struggling to make his mark in the bigger marketplace. But there again, with some decent radio play and good promotion, Marvin B Naylor and his 'The Last Flight Of Billy Balloon' could just prove to be a surprise package.
'The Last Flight Of Billy Balloon' by Marvin B Naylor is charming, refreshing and absorbing - how will it feel to the masses out there? I'm not too sure - time will tell - Marvin B Naylor might just turn out to be the new 'kid' on the block - who knows?
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