[rating=3.50]
For some time now, Mississippi songwriter Charlie Mars has sought to distance himself from the other “guy with an acoustic guitar” acts. His breakthrough came in 2009 with the release of Like a Bird, Like a Plane. With no label, manager, or any kind of backing, Mars was living on a houseboat and wondering if his music career was over. After a couple successful nights at the blackjack tables, he then had the money to finance a new album on his own. With no label pressure or outside expectations, Mars was able to finally carve himself a niche within the singer-songwriter genre by placing a greater emphasis on grooves than on lyrics or vocals. Blackberry Light, Mars’ sixth studio album, builds upon the framework laid out on that recording.
Blackberry Light is heavy on percussion and uses minimal instrumentation. Soulful beats and warm textures create a thick ambiance that is more powerful than any individual song’s tale. Rather than sitting down and telling specific stories, Mars sets the mood and lets the sonic tones and literary imagery tell the story for him. Even Mars’ vocals seem pushed to the background – though intimate, his vocals sound distanced, as if he is singing in a different room.
At the album’s finest moments, Mars accomplishes his goal of transcending the singer-songwriter mold. The funk rock grooves of “How I Roll” give a devil-may-care attitude to a song exploring Mars’ mistakes. “I hear the Siren’s call/ saying ‘maybe just one more time,” he sings after admitting that maybe he should cut back on the drugs. Likewise, the swampy blues rhythm of “Back of the Room” generates a feeling of dark vulnerability.
At times, however, Mars is exactly what he wants to avoid: a singer lazily strumming an acoustic guitar. His sparse finger-picking perfectly complements beat-driven songs such as “Let the Meter Run,” but that same minimalism is a detriment to some slower tracks. “Nothing but the Rain” suffers from a bland atmosphere and overly sentimental lyrics (“I want to believe even though I know/ that nobody is as pure as the driven snow”).
Blackberry Light is a moody collection of abstract sound that captures a wide spectrum of life. Mars delves into the darker parts of his nature, embracing melancholic tones as much as the fun, warm vibes. The spacious songs give the music room to breathe, with unspoken words and un-played notes telling much of the story. Though the album has some misfires, Blackberry Light succeeds as a singular entity that, just like life, features various moods and experiences, some of which are more exciting and memorable than others.
