Paul Mark brings it back to the fore with his own twists and turns as he stamps his own trademark style deep into its heart.
Play 90 second soundbite of 'Everything Is Nothing' @ 'CD quality'
Paul Mark brings it back to the fore with his own twists and turns as he stamps his own trademark style deep into its heart.
'Blood And Treasure' grinds out those blues with sophisticated attention to detail but still manages to leave it all feeling very real and very honest. Mark's style is efficient, ebullient and very effective; he tells of life at grass roots level and plays his blues with similarly honest integrity. Not retro, not old-hat - just great, honest-to-goodness heart-felt blues from the heart and soul, done to a turn by the man on the street, for the man in the street. Butterfield meets Waits if you will - and how cool and inviting does that sound?
'Blood And Treasure' is as honest as the day is long - Paul Mark and his trusty band absolutely nail it with playing that's distinctive and gritty, bringing the words to life through syncopated rhythm & blues of the highest order. The album is polished yet retains a certain 'street-cred' reality; great playing aimed at keeping things on an even keel and holding on to the 'truth' - too many blues outfits are guilty of over-polishing their music and instead of adding they subtract, make it all too fluffy, too synthetic. Paul Mark and his worthy crew keep the songs grounded and they're all the better for that down-home grit and grind.
'Blood And Treasure' by Paul Mark & The Van Dorens is an exemplary album of fine blues tunes - a positive musical encyclopaedia of roots music that sounds and feels contemporary yet somehow sounds from another era - timeless, ageless, long may 'Blood And Treasure' live in our hearts and minds - quite an album and quite sublime!!
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