"Hard-nosed blues power from one of the genre's most acute observers, [Smartest Man in the Room] is dripping with urban attitude."

"[Smartest Man in the Room]... A singer, songwriter and guitarist extraordinaire…a house of blues for a thousand corpses…a witch’s brew…gritty, sparse, terse and honest, but with levity and hope to spare."

"[Smartest Man]...Educated, insightful, engaged and enraged…A mercilessly ironic takedown… Attention must be paid, my friends."

[Smartest Man]..."Mark's a Dickensian conglomerate of honked-off preacher, university professor turned spooky drunkard…Infectious as a virus..Shake it ‘til you fall down."

[Smartest Man]"…Excites you about buying new blues/rock music… Perceptive intelligence and abundant wit… A liberating experience."

[Smartest Man]..."Literally bristles with raw energy... Mark’s gravelly vocals and reverberating guitar power every track... Impressive stuff indeed!"

[Mirage Cartography] is...a museum piece of what the acoustic guitar was invented for."

"There is real warmth in Paul Mark’s playing and real passion for what he is crafting ...Every [Mirage Cartography] track has a sound of its own, almost a sense of personality...an integrity that many instrumental records just can’t access...[an] extremely talented musician and wonderful composer ...Beautiful work."

"It is clear that Mark paid attention to all aspects of [Mirage Cartography]... One has to admire Mark for making such a huge stylistic switch...His abilities as a guitar player allow him to make each composition interesting...This is the disc you’d want to play on that night where all you want to do is sit in a comfortable chair with your favorite drink..."

"[Blood & Treasure] is about as diverse and entertaining a record as you'll hear this year"

"Blood & Treasure "Takes rhythm & blues back home...Paul Mark and his trusty band absolutely nail it with playing that's distinctive and gritty... a positive musical encyclopedia of roots music that sounds and feels contemporary yet somehow sounds from another era...quite an album."

“Mark is one of my favorite songwriters..Blood & Treasure [is] another slice of Mark's hipster wit and storied lyrics swimming in a bluesy swamp… his songs are so well written and personal, they stand alone.”

Mark is one of those rare songwriters whose lyrics will certainly make you think… [Blood & Treasure] can't be pigeonholed into any one category or style, which is a huge part of its appeal. You never know what you might hear or in what style it might be played …a real shot of some tasty ear candy"

Paul Mark has the best consecutive lyrics for an entire CD of any one I have heard since… well, when was the last really great lyrical record?... Everything about the CD, Blood and Treasure; the music, the lyrics, and the artwork. Everything is good.

“[Blood & Treasure] is the sort of music I always wished to hell the J. Geils Group would have made, gutsy, full-blooded, funky, and virile…This guy's an interesting character.”

“Some great music…[Blood & Treasure] was truly a great find for me.”

“Ear candy worth seeking out: Lotta Things to Say …Southeast Texas/Louisiana flavors flirt with my ears...the main thing is you have to hear the punch lines for yourself!”

"A great disk�Blood & Treasure is an early favorite for a year- ending “Best of 2009” column. I highly encourage multiple purchases of the record..”

“[Mark’s] music is so diverse and hard to pigeon-hole…finely crafted songs, all beautifully played.”

“[Blood & Treasure] is an unexpectedly exhilarating ruckus-raising ride…Superb.”

"Mark has a musical vision that extends far beyond his home in New York City. His songwriting ably blends a critical view of life with irreverent humor…Mark has the vocal chops…and his guitar work elevates the proceedings…[Blood & Treasure] should gain some well-deserved attention"

"Blood & Treasure...Electrifying...Exceptional musicianship, witty songwriting, and a unique sound rooted in blues."

“Tough, gritty sound and songwriting that’s a cut above the standard … Blood & Treasure is another winner from Paul Mark.”

"On Trick Fiction Mark brings the heat...Mark and his group have always swung sexy...but what sets them apart on this record are Mark's stories, hipster view and turn of phrase."

"On IndigoVertigo, careful attention to songwriting meets power-trio blues. New York's PM&VDs shy away from clichés and come up instead with compelling character studies and situational snapshots backed by contemporary, funky blues...Exciting vocals and big grooves complete the picture. Mark puts a fresh stamp on roots music."