With the recent release of Electric Soul Magic Vol. II Alt/Soul singer songwriter Joe Marson has bestowed the second installment in a series of ongoing EPs that focus on the music that Marson has been creating for the past year.
Upon first listen Electric Soul Magic Vol. II I really liked the diverseness that Marson carries. Not only with his ferocious guitar skills but more so his vocal direction. On the second listen to the six song EP, I found myself enjoying it more but for different reasons. There were hints of things and certain nuances that weren’t there before. For example, when Marson hits his top vocal register I catch a thick dose of Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) in his voice or How I would love to hear the chorus from Gotta Be Good performed with a church choir or is the opening riff of “No Retreat” played on a Resonator Guitar or is it a slide on something like a Fender Tele? Electric Soul Magic Vol. II carries the feeling of two separate records. Half of it is full of 90’s Alternative feels of Float With It or My Love Is A Cannibal. More so on these songs than any others Joe Marson unleashes the skilled and unhinged type of guitar playing that earned him a top five finish in the 2015 Guitar Center Competition.. Conversely, the second half of V. II is a combination that mixes equal parts of pop and soul. It also focuses on Marsons soulful vocals and songwriting which furthermore proves that he’s more than just a guitar player.. From top to bottom Electric Soul Magic Vol. II is exactly that, MAGIC!