For the time being, we will have to know him as Mark. Little other information exists, other than that he lives in the Forest of Dean and he can write very good songs.

Mark the Musical Marvel:

There are three tracks on Mark's CD: "California Rain", "Say You Will" and "Ring". All of them are beautifully formed miniature masterpieces. Keyboard parts gently rock up and down while strings soar overhead, guitars chug along underneath and a strong drum beat keeps everything together. Everything is in the right place. In fact, it's all quite lovely.

By Jimminy!

"California Rain" emerges from a percussion effect that sounds like crickets took over Mark's recording equipment. It's a beautiful song about regret and memories. "I took my place/finding all the rats to race" he sings, knowing that he should have been enjoying life more because "the finest moments never come back again".

Yes We Will:

"Say You Will" is not a cover of a recent Fleetwood Mac song, but, in fact, a desperate plea for understanding and reassurance ("I could live without you/But I don't really want to"). To resort to comparison, imagine Erlend Oye rewriting Oasis' "Wonderwall". String parts weave in and out of each other between verses while the narrator considers what it means to be without the one he loves.

Quiet Revolutionary:

"Ring" has got a gorgeous shuffle-y feel to it. Any minute now, the Beta Band should appear on the horizon with their own brand of weirdness. Instead what we get is a vocal that sounds similar in places to John Lennon. Which is fitting, because the lyrics contain lines about leading "a gentle revolution of the mind".

The song is about making a difference - and what happens if you don't: "Look around this one sheep town/it's only lack of thought that makes it small/You could change the world with just an enigmatic smile" he sings.

Elvis Lives!

He might as well be singing "What's so wrong about peace, love and understanding?". The "money making slob" and fighting soldiers have all got it wrong in Mark's book. What the world needs now is love, sweet love. When matched with the first song, it's clear that this singer has a clear philosophy that life should be lived to the full.

While he may not own a surname, Mark certainly has got a good ear for a tune. He fits perfectly into the mould of other singer/songwriters from around these parts (see Ben Lee and Ethan Blake). Let's hope we hear more from Mark soon.

12/05/04 - First published on www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire on this link