Mark Goldberg is from Everett, WA and has been playing guitar, keys and performing since 1999. He has explored many genres of music including blues, R&B, acoustic folk, jazz, pop, rock, among others all which show up on his recent release Superstars. Previously at Divide and Conquer we reviewed The Truth Of New Faces.
Superstars is a whopping twenty-one songs. There’s a lot of variety here so I’m focusing on some of the tracks which stuck out to me in some way. “Your Starting Point/Superstar” starts with an ambient section with airy sounding synths that feel very dreamlike. It transitions to a rock song with what sounds like an audience screaming. Goldberg then belts out a scream which is a little off key but gives it a raw quality. Next up is “The Creeping Fear” which is a thematic piano ballad with pads. It sounded like something from a play. The piano playing is exceptional but after the first two songs I was confused about where this album might be going. “Song Of The Spectrum” was another ballad but more in the spirit of someone like Billy Joel. There’s a warm New York sort of quality that’s hard to describe. “The Return Of Misterio” is a fun rock song and also one of the catchier songs on the album. He’s in a comfortable vocal range on this song and it pays off with one of his best performances. “Underdog” was one of my favorite songs. This song is soulful and the electric piano sounds on point. It’s also another song where the vocals sound well delivered and in the right range. There’s a super slick guitar solo that also hits all the right notes. “The House You Never Had” is a well done rock/blues hybrid with a killer groove while “New Beginnings” has the best groove yet with sweet ’70s quality. “Seek The Silver Sea” is another solid song with a classic rock flavor. As the album progressed, I thought there were a number of highlights including “Keep On Craving” and “Politician” which has a Bossa Nova like rhythm and the exceptional ballad led “The Jewel In The Cards.” My critique remains similar to my first review. I wanted a little more fidelity. As an engineer myself I thought some songs were mixed better than others. Goldberg certainly has a lot of talent running through his veins. He can not only write a song but can write a song in multiple genres. Take a listen.
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