My Record Player is the auspicious solo debut of Mark Balletto, lead guitarist of the Chicago roots pop band Dolly Varden. Besides being one of the most expressive guitar stylists in town, he's also a certifiable music freak, able to summon a myriad of influences in one swift stroke. Naming his band after his turntable suggests a serving platter of references from his vinyl collection. That's not necessarily the case on these originals. Instead of simply summoning heroes, Balletto steps forward as a tuneful pop craftsman with a tasteful imagination and an ear for how to make all the ingredients cook.
 
Primary players include his Dolly Varden bandmates, ex-Wilco multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett and Stax veterans the Memphis Horns. Not surprisingly, the songs that rise above are the bold guitar rockers, built with a multitude of interwoven layers and radiant harmonies from Dolly Varden principals Steve Dawson and Diane Christiansen.
 
Balletto's best when coloring in these songs with eloquent introspection, playing slide guitar ("Seeds") or launching into a solo that is simple yet flares with grandeur ("Nerve of a Green Idea"). He defies the expectation that a guitar purebred is only interested in directing the spotlight on the frets. Instead, on these meditative roots rockers, Balletto paints a rich picture held together with intimate warmth without a single slip of momentum.
 
Mark Guarino – The Daily Herald
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My Record Player is the solo project from Mark Balletto, the guitarist from Dolly Varden. On his debut, Come Around, Balletto taps into the vein of the seventies and the spirit of a decade that offered blues- and soul-based rock alongside unapologetic sappy pop. The refreshing part is Balletto's heart might long for the time of his musical innocence, but his talents as a guitarist and songwriter keep him current enough to avoid a retro label. With the assistance of some noteworthy buds, including Diane Christiansen and Steve Dawson from Dolly Varden, Jay Bennett, guitarist Grant Tye, and drummer Gerald Dowd, with a special appearance by the Memphis Horns, Balletto balances straight-on rockers with earnest ballads, conjuring back-of-the-mind thoughts of Dwight Twilley, Tom Petty, Van Morrison, and Robbie Robertson. While Balletto's first outing proves that he can exist outside of Dolly Varden, the real highlight of Come Around is the final cut, "Good News," in which he applies a smoky, soulful voice to a song that's a flash of Stax, made all the better by Steve Dawson lending his pipes on the high parts, Jay Bennett making the Hammond Organ sing and the Memphis Horns blaring.
 
Tony Barnett - Newcity
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