Linda Marks; Autumn Sol = Heather Roy, Steve Roy
Linda Marks and Autumn Sol shared a bill at One Broadway Collaborative last Saturday night. Their combination of singer songwriter approaches provided this cleverly converted Lawrence, Massachusetts storefront space with an array of impressive singer-songwriter approaches. It was a perfect venue for Marks to share her new album A Recipe For Hope and Autumn Sol’s album, Revival.
“No Time For Dreams,” from her upcoming The Silence Of The Stars album, found Marks adding in her sweet vocal sustains and vivid lyrical descriptions over a flowing stream of keyboard notes, creating a perfect scene and mood for her lovely song. Her lower keyboard notes conjured the lack of time in everyone’s world, their heavy accents feeling like a chilling pull.
Autumn Sol went into their tune “Dream Maker Man,” using descriptions like “one dime in my pocket” to make one feel as well as imagine poverty. Yet, it was Heather Roy’s harmony vocals that supplied waves of pleasure to the listener’s heart and soul.
Linda Marks offered a glimpse into her next album, performing “Motherless Daughters Fatherless Sons.” Marks injected a tender emotive quality into her keyboard line, buttressing her wholesome singing voice, a vocal that moves like a white glove over a smooth banister. She brought her warmer touch to the touchy subject matter in her insights as she delved into the lives of the people she’s written of.
Linda Marks
Autumn Sol brought serious edge with Steve Roy’s acoustic guitar playing on their “Singing About Me.” The husband and wife team fostered a chummy quality in their harmonies. Beneath that, his chord progression was full of warmth. The duo did a fine job of conjuring a clear camaraderie.
“Psychotherapist’s Work Song” allowed Marks a chance to show her slightly higher timbre, her vocal balancing well with her jaunty keyboard melody. Autumn Sol took their turn with “On The Wall,” their vocal trade offs quaint, his brisk acoustic guitar work carrying their likable piece with energy.
The therapist in Marks sometimes surfaces in her lyrics. “It’s OK To Die” showed appreciation for life, especially during its fragile end time. Her keyboard notes, somehow, manged to delve even deeper into the sentiment, the emotional grist, a three dimensional feeling that was necessary for the song to look at life as someone looking at a jewel or an artwork and appreciating it in all of its aspects.
Autumn Sol
Autumn Sol changed the mood a bit with their cover of Van Morrison’s “Crazy Love.” Mr. Roy’s lead vocal, Mrs. Roy’s harmony came together on a sense of feeling, emotion, finding the other singer’s heart in the song, thickening the theme. Cooing around his lead vocal and chiming in just before the chorus. This gave their cover an ever richer sense of motion.
Marks’ “Lighthouse” was a metaphor song. The lighthouse represents a haven, a haven from the troubles of the world. She managed to carry both of its themes, a guidepost and a beacon of hope for tired souls who need to come in.
Autumn Sol made the most out of acoustic guitar and tambourine for “You Are All I Need.” There was a symmetry in their harmonies as they summed up all they mean to each other and how they came to this point in their lives.
Marks next offered up a similar philosophy on her “Wisdom Of Lived Years.” Her piano melody has enough travel motion to suggest a person is moving through the years. It was in how her higher notes hovered over her bass notes. Within that space between, the listener finds the eye of an emotional storm before Marks closes out with a lovely coo. It was the in and out of the eye that made the motions pleasant to the ear.
Autumn Sol got us all to have fun with “Leaving On Jet Plane” before Marks dazzled with her songwriting skills once again. “Ghosts” was respect for a friend Marks had lost. As her vocal recalled the lyrical details of that life, ripples of sensitive piano notes took the listener by the hand, guiding them to a place of respect.
Autumn Sol’s “Warm Summer Breezes” features a low boil acoustic guitar melody. That guitar supported while contrasting pleasantly with Heather Roy’s lead vocal. Speaking of lead vocals, Marks later impressed by using her coo as a substitute for a violin in her song “Love Always Wins.”
Autumn Sol used their song “The Evil Ones” to express hope, a message of rising above issues with their lovingly felt harmonies and his homey acoustic notes. Closing out with “The Rose,” Marks and Autumn Sol used their incredible voices to deliver what many feel is a personal favorite as well as a huge hit. Their delivery connected the song to the culture as well as the attendees.
One Broadway Collaborative proved a valuable listening room. Its long space, tiled ceilings, carpeted floor, and warm acoustics let these songs and these artists breathe. With a little experimentation with different genres and combos, this sort of store front space will surely show something special to offer.
