The Marcus - Out Of Despair

3.0

0.0 (0)

On his debut album, Marcus de Pana, front-man and brains behind the Dubai / Philippines based alternative rock outfit The Marcus – showcases a mature level of versatility within the LP’s ten songs.

Appropriately opening with the guitar-driven 'Alive', a track that finds a great balance between a relatively loud chorus and more melodic verses, paves the way for a well-produced, cohesive record that's here to make a statement.

And with a title like Out of Despair; this statement resounds with a feeling of bittersweet defiance within lyrical themes of regret as well as new beginnings. There are moments of vulnerability, namely in the acoustic track 'Lifeline' and the closing track 'Move', which luckily do not seem out of place, or veer on inconsistency, with the rest of the mood, but add a rather beautiful transitional sound.

Equipped with a capable and emotive range, de Pana manages to bring these songs to life with enough punch, while avoiding making songs about heartbreak and loss sound too dreary. There is definitely an interesting texture to Out of Despair, which is more than meets the eye; it picks up when it's most unexpected but tones down when it needs to – making this a solid offering from de Pana and the rest of The Marcus, and an impressive introduction to this up-and-coming talent.

THE MARCUS - 'LIFELINE'

Editor review

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