The Mark isn’t shy about warning us of the hellish, downright dangerous games awaiting us on the bayou beats beneath “Louisiana Voodoo,” but with a little assistance from axman Tony Joe White, the imagery in his lyrics comes to life before us in more than a melodic fashion. The harmonies here feel divine in spots, tethering cultural influences from across the spectrum together under the umbrella of an alternative Americana I could really get used to as a music critic. There’s a lot more to “Louisiana Voodoo” than simple poeticisms and sweet hooks, but cosmetically speaking, it’s got a kind of curb appeal that I rarely see out of indie players off the radar of the mainstream – if anywhere at all.
URL: https://themark2.bandzoogle.com/
There’s a lot of heart in this performance, and it isn’t limited to the vocal element The Mark produces with maximum grandiosity. The elegant sizzle of his counterpart’s guitar could be the most soulful component of this material, and through the clandestine hybrid of vintage folk/rock and a more contemporary, vibrant strain of neo-Americana, it’s able to flourish in a way not normally afforded to modern pop material. I was impressed by the seamless integration of themes and aesthetics in this release, but after deeper consideration, they’re really just the tip of the iceberg when taking in all of the detail these two talented players have put into an otherwise simplistic and wholly straightforward single. It’s a skill I don’t recommend amateurs even attempting to master; truth be told, it’s more of a God-given gift.
I definitely notice a powerful appreciation for the craft on both The Mark’s part and White’s as well in this track, and because of the familiar passion they’re applying to the material in identical doses, I think they could probably trade out the electric guitar and crashing percussion for more stripped-down instrumentation and still induce just as many chills as they do here. Their love of music transcends the somewhat DIY, tonally raw feel of the mix to make even the more jagged elements in this song sound deliberately edgy. You’ve got to give them some credit for inventiveness, but at its core, “Louisiana Voodoo” is more a testament to their commitment than it is anything else.
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Louisiana-Voodoo/dp/B08CBD55KB
While I only just found out about The Mark and Tony Joe White through the release of “Louisiana Voodoo” this early summer, the magic they make in this song has given me cravings for more of their content sooner than later. I’m hesitant to call this an old school rock number simply for the fact that so many different artistic points are aligning to shape the narrative and look of the material, but in all honesty, it’s got the same iconic feel I only get out of the AOR classics we’ve all grown up with on the FM dial. The Mark and Tony Joe White care about the quality of their work, and as much as it pains me to admit this as an audiophile, that’s just not the standard in pop anymore.
Chadwick Easton