ROB MARSH

The need to make music has remained a constant in the life of Rob Marsh.

Over the years his creative leanings have led him to many musically challenging areas from composing a rock opera (Spanish Main) which was recorded in the studios of Perth radio station 6KY and went on to win the West Australia Folk Federation song writing contest, to playing with a number of bands including Rainmaker and Cuddly Scamps.

He debut album Deep and Meaningless focuses his many years of experience as a singer songwriter to produce a collection of powerful songs, beautifully crafted and with melodies guaranteed to haunt the listener. For example, anyone who has been hopelessly in love will recognize all to well the almost claustrophobic excitement apparent in So We Meet Again and be hypnotized by the chorus with which Marsh has underpinned the song.

An All Familiar Scene takes its inspiration from the works of playwright Willy Russell and film maker Mike Leigh, and the haunting melody and intimate, inventive arrangements belie the dark center of the songwriters vision.

"I don't have a huge amount of control", says Marsh. "I seldom sit down and tailor a song, it comes along and demands to be formed".

Rob is a multi instrumentalist specializing in guitar, bass and mandolin. His original intention was to play all the instruments on Deep and Meaningless, using his friend and noted producer James Hewgill (Dude ranch, Peter Busher) for his engineering skills on the sessions which were spread over twelve months.

"I played piano on the first song we recorded, (You Took My Breath Away) and as we started the next song I showed James the chords on the piano. As he played he proceeded to blow me away! His ability to get to the heart of the piece was so impressive that I invited him to play keyboards on the remaining tracks". Rob and James were joined by Lee Buddle on saxophones and Eric Kowlaski on violin.

"I'm completely open-minded about this album" says Marsh. "It's very much a cathartic outlet,....a means of healing the soul, while creating a painting in words and music that hopefully the listener will find they enjoy as much as I did in creating it".

REVIEW

DEEP AND MEANINGLESS - Seeing Ear Records - Rob Marsh.

Reviewer - Polly Coufos - Xpress Magazine

Despite having lived in Australia for more than half his life Rob Marsh maintains a very British approach to music making. He has a gentle voice that recalls the Beautiful South's Paul Heaton while his melodies have a robust and classic manner where verses just melt into perfectly formed choruses, and his characters keep a stiff upper lip and scream ever so quietly.

Featuring himself on all manner of stringed instruments and co-producer James Hewgill on keys, the arrangements sparkle with imaginative textures. Be it his runaway acoustic solo that continues into the next verse in It Never Occurred To Me, his multi tracked vocals, Hewgill's cheesy organ (What A Shame) or guest Lee Buddle's sax on An All Familiar Scene the songs are always busy but never messy.

Marsh is at his best when he is working in the domestic disharmony that has forged many of Sqeeze's greatest moments. He has a way with words, and a more than decent grasp on internal rhymes that further hold his song together. Have an uncomfortable laugh or two as he invites you into houses filled with hostile or worse, disinterested glances, and sing along while their lives fall apart!

Polly Coufos