Labels: Wolf Town DIY
Review by: James Williams
It looks like summer might finally be on its way, as the sun beams down and it seems
like the perfect time to listen to something soothing. This is the latest release from
York based solo artist Chris Marks, who goes by the name Lake Michigan. Its lightly
plucked acoustic music with a touch of emo. I don’t listen to a lot of acoustic music,
but I like this a lot. Some people may think it sounds a bit to Americanised, especially
in the vocals, but as it’s in context it’s okay. On his Bandcamp page, Lake Michigan
is tagged as “slowcore” which is quite an apt description. The simple arrangements
and very adept guitar playing make this a joy to listen too. The understated vocals
give it an edge as well, as they’re not overdone and don’t run the rule over the rest
of the music. The vocals during Airport are almost whispered and are similar to
spoken word at times. The production on the record is minimal, like the music and
the songs themselves aren’t too long. June And Why It Happened features a guest
appearance from fellow York folk singer Nicole Palfrey from Oh Poor Watcher. The
female vocals add too the feeling of melancholy in the song. I’m so chilled out after
listening to this that I don’t want to stick on anything heavy. That’s the power of Lake
Michigan though I guess. Both Wolf Town DIY and Lake Michigan have done great
things with this release. If you like dreamy, acoustic music then you could do worse
than check this out.