Leigh MarbleRed Tornado
If there is one motif that has been done to death in modern music, it’s the singer-songwriter idea. One dude, one guitar and far too much mopey sadness to do anybody any good. It’s safe to say that singer-songwriters are a dime a dozen.
And Leigh Marble doesn’t really change that equation. At his best and most memorable, he sheds the self-indulgent nature inherent to solo guitarists and rocks out. The first song, “Lucky Bastards” sounds like an awesome mash-up of Elliott Smith and classic blues. In fact, most of Red Tornado is pretty great. Using organs and harmonica to flavor his guitar, Marble’s songs have a sweet, lilting charm that make for a pleasant listen. He still has his weak moments though, and the album would be better at a shorter length. Red Tornado is a strong effort for this Portland musician.
Leigh Marble is playing Thursday, Oct. 19 at the Holocene. The cost is $6.
–Ed Johnson