Album, Single and EP Reviews


 

 

  Let The Body Go by Mark Northfield


Let The Body Go cover art

Artist: Mark Northfield
Title: Let The Body Go
Catalogue Number: Substantive STAVEEP3
Review Format: MP3
Release Year: 2014



The thing about being good, and by that I mean a reasonable measure of technical proficiency has been far exceeded, is that you can turn your hand to most personal of subjects – in this case death – and turn it an opportunity to excel. Mark Northfield uses the concept of termination throughout his EP “Let The Body Go” and yet the end result is nothing if not uplifting.

The title track reflects on the end of a life but is far from depressing. Whilst the piano and cello sway gently in the breeze, the poise and grace of Mr Northfield’s vocal give a hymn like feel to the song as if praise were the only purpose there is in life. His theatrical background returns to populate the melodic bleakness of “Giving You What You Want” and he marches to the beat of the click as he leads the song, with no small about of lyrical irony, into the sunset.

He then dances to the tune of the musical muse and waltzes “Some Songs” around the dance floor of creative incarceration. To quote Mr Northfield’s lyrics, “some songs tell such lies…” but it is clearly evident from the songs on this EP that Mr Northfield, despite his obvious talent for musical embellishment, speaks only from the heart. You can only do that if you are good.


marknorthfield.com
Reviewer:
Review Date: May 17 2014