Mark returned to Memphis' Ardent Studios to record a bluesy R&B set that feels as funky and spontaneous as that city¹s finest music. Eleven of the 12 tunes are originals, and though they don¹t exactly forge new directions in the various roots-based genres Mark references, the performances are consistently inspired. The arrangements provide spark for a four-piece backing band that meshes with deceptive ease.

With a master¹s degree in English, Mark’s lyrics go places other blues-based artists just don't try. On the acoustic-driven folk ballad Fear of Grief, he growls, “Highways winding home/Jet planes and telephones/Move slower than my fear of grief.” The following 30 Lbs. in 30 Days uses the weight-loss cliché as a metaphor for thinking life can be altered quickly and easily, with soulful female backing vocals set against a perky, upbeat shuffle. A cover of the Elvis Presley/Terry Stafford nugget Suspicion employs an eerie, echoed vibe to portray a man tortured by psychotic thoughts, as whispered words float in the background like voices inside the protagonist’s head.

If this sounds too heavy, it’s not. There are plenty of toe-tappers, such as the jazzy, surfy Stake Out, the album’s only instrumental. Mark knows his way around the guitar, and his understated approach is unusual for a six-string frontman. The booklet reprints the lyrics, most of them worth reading when the music isn¹t playing so that you can absorb their subtleties without being distracted by the band’s sweet, sweaty blend of swamp, rock, blues, and pop."