Paul Mark’s eighth CD, Mirage Cartography, cuts a swirling acoustical path through the heart of American folk and blues music. Setting aside the cutting-edge lyrics and roadhouse roar of his band, Paul Mark & the Van Dorens, the NYC-based musician, producer and record company impresario here looks inward to conjure a quirky and dexterous collection of acoustic instrumentals that resonates with calm introspection and worldly charm. His unsurpassed solo finger-picking technique, compositional richness and affinity for raw Americana creates a richly-imagined oasis of taught melodies and soothing atmospherics. This soulful solo release – complete with lush, over-the-top packaging – reasserts Mark’s disregard for the tepid conformity of today’s corporate playlists and underscores his dedication to honest and personal music targeted at a thinking audience.
Mirage Cartography can be seen as a natural extension of the sounds explored on Mark's earlier solo instrumental release, Roadside Americana. Check out that release as well if you're seeking out a roots guitar sound reverberating with understated power and intricate reflection. Mark's solo guitar work comes from a strange and wonderful place that revives listeners with pure oxygen and lifts the senses with aural color.
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