New Jersey based singer/songwriter Danny Marcus has something money can’t buy – the respect of his peers. He’s collaborated with some of the brightest talents in the music world today such as the Harlem Gospel Choir, Josh Groban, Macy Gray, and Andrea Bocelli, among others. That respect is born from the admiration of Marcus’ considerable talents. His pop/folk confessional style of songwriting, mixed with a liberal array of covers, has earned him plum spots playing the best East Coast venues such as New Jersey’s Maxwell’s, New York City’s Bowery Ballroom, the Mercury Lounge, and Crossroads.
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His original work, however, has garnered him the lion’s share of audience and critical notice. His sixsong EP Pieces of Me has hit the mark with many listeners and continues generating a wealth of enthusiasm for Marcus’ musicianship and songwriting. It opens with “17 Again”, an affectionate look back at his younger self that is certain to resonate with a wide swath of listeners. He grounds the lyrical content with a mix of specific details and well-chosen generalities adding up to a cohesive experience. The song’s extended bridge benefits from assertive, yet never overwhelming, drumming that helps drive its message home.
“Ain’t No Fan” introduces electric guitar into the mix. It punctuates a largely acoustic dominated arrangement; the delicate guitar motif running through much of the song is ideal for the song’s subject. The lyrics have an exhortative air without ever lapsing into ham-fisted anthemic bluster. The aforementioned electric guitar drops in with well-placed flourishes and a simple yet driving backbeat pushes the song forward. “Beautiful” unravels for listeners at a gradual, measured pace and arguably has the album’s most alluring vocal melody. The self-contained energy of the piece has a relaxing and reflective effect without ever losing the audience’s attention.
The EP’s shortest track, “California”, fits in with the sub-genre of songs viewing the Golden State as a land of endless possibilities. It uses that preconceived notion as a metaphor for a character study about dreamers and their endless ability for envisioning better tomorrows. “Love You, Long for You” ups the pace a little for a song about lost love that hasn’t yet faded despite the distance separating the song’s subjects. Marcus’ songs have a penchant for spot-on drumming that eschews an over-abundance of drum fills thereby making those moments all the more meaningful when they arrive.
The title track “Pieces of Me” has a strong melodic core. The track’s memorable opening couplet “I think I’ll wrap myself in tape/so I don’t fall apart” does a wonderful job of setting the stage for everything that follows. “Pieces of Me” derives a lot of its power from the intelligent use of dynamics alternating, as it does, between simmering acoustic-driven passages and muscular pop rock explosions. It is a fantastic way for Marcus to close the album and be thoroughly in keeping with its predecessors. Pieces of Me heralds the arrival of an important new songwriting voice and gives us a hint of even greater triumphs to come.
Garth Thomas