Mark Gothard: Press

Artist: Mark Gothard
Album: Vault Songs
Review by Melissa Nastasi


Vault Songs lets us dive head first into folk singer/songwriter Mark Gothard’s past. This seems weird, yes, but Gothard has a story to tell of lost friendships and found tapes. Spending his time in California, he is about to branch out to the world and share his songs. With three albums already under his belt, he takes us on a journey of songs that were written in college. Ah, a young musician at work; there is nothing like it, right?

Kicking off the album is the twangy “Cigarettes.” With heavily strummed guitars and an emphasis on country vocals, Gothard will already have you intrigued and wondering what is about to come next. One thing you must remember about this record upon listening is that it is not perfect nor is it meant to be. These songs from Gothard‘s college past are untouched and left in their original form. They are mixed well but not polished as the listener will be able to tell that some of these songs were just demos.

“You,” takes a bit of an unexpected turn, but not in a bad way. The track sits on the border between folk and lo-fi. With pounding drums and guitars making room for soft vocals, this is an unforgettable track. “True Romance” is a sultry song, yet innocent at the same time. The listener will be able to tell this was written in college, and though that is not necessarily a bad thing, it is something that will strike you right off the bat. “Down Here” has the same sort of vibe to it, though also beautifully written. The true beauty lies in the guitar tones. Each and every strum seems to tell a story on it’s own.

“To Heaven We’ll Go” features more amazing guitar work with a plucking guitar sound and whimsical tone. Gothard’s vocals get a bit deeper and scratchier here as if he is trying to find his own voice. This continues through to the next track, “Here We Go,” as his sound changes a bit again and adds some howl. His true voice that he should stick to is found up next on the song, “Baby.” It’s soft, fitting the delicate guitar and tambourine and adding a bit of soul to the record. “Blue Tomatoes” takes a completely different turn and makes things a bit more interesting as Gothard becomes a bit of a folk crooner.

Up next is “Potato,” one of the standout tracks on the record. Despite referencing an actual potato, it is genuinely heartfelt and poetic. He again uses soft vocals to evoke so much emotion, even in this awkward lyrical setting. Closing the album is the instrumental “Blue,” which features an accordion and allows for a peaceful and surprising ending.

Mark Gothard is an amazing talent with a real knack for songwriting. Vault Songs is a piece of work to be proud of, and though it is not perfect, it tells the tale of a promising songwriter on the rise. Listening to Gothard’s previous work, you can tell that he has come a long way, but has always kept true to himself and the music that he creates. Vault Songs is a fantastic listen that will have you craving his studio records. Take a chance on it.


Review by Melissa Nastasi
Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

On Mark Gothard’s third CD, “Midnight,” a collection of bare-bones contemporary folk songs, the singer-songwriter goes back to the beginning. The 15-track CD contains songs newly recorded, but written in his college days, well before his first album from ‘03. Songs that he “wrote on napkins at bars, in parking lots, in alleyways at 3 a.m...” As such, there’s a youthful immediacy that is next to impossible to replicate as one matures. Stripped down, haunting pieces built primarily on acoustic guitar, with some spare use of piano and drums provide the sonic template, a lo-fi texture that puts the songs front and center. “Skies Painted Blue,” one of the most affecting tunes on the album, is a beautiful love song, aching with the singer’s passion and desire; “Dressed In Red,” with its rich-as-soil vocal, nimbly weds melody to guitar flourishes with imaginative lyrics as impressionistic as they are sublime; on “To Heaven We’ll Go,” Gothard strikes pay-dirt with a fragile, minor-key tune that lingers long after the song has ended. Filling out the rest of the CD are equally smart and elusive songs that attest to Gothard’s original and noteworthy song craft.