Marshall McLean
Heaven’s Grey
Singer/songwriter Marshall McLean identifies his music as Christian, although it’s really hard to tell aside from the album title. This mostly acoustic record is something that can be easily filed with a number of introspective young artists today, a population that is certainly growing with the recording and manufacturing of CDs so much easier and affordable now.
Poetic and moody, McLean seems to be writing diary entries and then singing them to relatively quiet folk music. The slow, melancholy “October Rain” is the perfect soundtrack to rainy seasons; you can imagine the overcast clouds looming over a brokenhearted couple. There is a sadness in McLean’s voice that cannot be denied; his gravelly vocals carries the weight of the world or at least the troubles of everyday life.
The songs rarely pick up tempo. Only on “Hands” does McLean generate any sort of speed; otherwise, McLean looks inside himself, and the songs move at their own gradual pace. And that’s what this record is for: Reflection. Contemplation. On “The Ordinary Things” and “Dandelion,” McLean reels you into his world with impeccable guitar playing, and it’s not a bad place to be. Here’s an album which doesn’t ask you for much yet delivers more than it promises.
Marshall McLean: http://www.marshallmcleanmusic.com
