Search - Marc Ford :: Weary and Wired

Lowering the standard.

Ree View | 04/20/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Several years after the magnificent It's About Time, this album is unfortunately a letdown. Marc chooses to move away from the songwriting and positive energy that filled It's About Time to more soloing and a heavier/muddier sound. The songs on It's About Time were reflective and/or positive, but here we get mostly simple, negative rock lyrics. Some of the songs don't seem finished or well written enough either, as if they're just an excuse to jam. This leaning doesn't work as the band as a unit sounds flat and ordinary.



There is some good guitar playing of course, as well as Marc's underrated voice. Smoke Signals is a standout track and The Other Side and Currents impress. But the album is too full of songs that sound like any guitarist laying down some heavy riffs and singing about Dirty Girl and Don't Come Around. We've heard it all before. Marc shouldn't have to remake It's About Time, and it's hard to say if commercial success was aimed at here, but there isn't enough here to separate Weary and Wired from any number of other decent singer/guitar records around."