Reviewed by Tony Cummings

I've never heard the Charlotte, North Carolina-based singer/songwriter's previous CDs 'Public Radio' and 'Songs I Learned In College' but I reckon I should track them down. For this is really rather good. Mark possesses a rough-hewn voice a little like Tom Petty which he uses effectively over ricocheting electronic rhythms on the opener "Overflow" and equally adeptly over the chugging Southern rock guitars of "Close To You". There's a folky feel running through some tracks and Mathis admits to a Dylan influence though there's little resembling the nasal twang of the bard here. What there is is a nicely matured musical talent not ashamed to sing songs about the lover of his soul.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.