A relatively new recruit to the East Coast, Mark Fossen has spent a
decade busking and gigging the country and beyond, playing festivals
and releasing single tracks and videos. Now the B.C. native has landed
in Antigonish, N.S., and has celebrated with his first full-length,
called Restless. Produced by Jim Bryson, who's been quietly doing novel
things for Canadian folk acts, this set has Fossen's emotional and
searching tunes given a whole bunch of cool levels and shifting
soundscapes. Like he's done on P.E.I. singer Meaghan Blanchard's
upcoming release The Great Escape, Bryson has emphasized the mood in
each of Fossen's cuts. It's not with unnecessary noises but rather with
moments of quiet and calm, beautiful tones, mystery, and just the right
bit of volume at the right time.
That leaves
lots of room for Fossen's warm delivery and searching lyrics. Rocky
Mountain Kiss looks back at an old West Coast love, thinking about it at
a vulnerable time, and realizing it wasn't aching for the person, but
missing that feeling of being in love. The cut Sometimes gets into
intense territory, Fossen clearly one able to tap into his feelings,
such as when he has to "..search for you in bottles of wine/when my
heart is beating overtime." Songs with such heart on display could be
mushy, but Fossen and Bryson add lots of power throughout, from gutsy
guitar to some sneaky banjo to subtle strings. Or in Ghost, Fossen adds a
falsetto harmony to a couple of lines, sounding a bit like Robbie
Robertson in Somewhere Down The Crazy River. That's a good vibe, and
this album has lots of that kind of warmth.
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