Swinging That Rock ‘N’ Roll in the Midwest – Part 1Mark Croft

An unintentional theme emerged from the padded envelopes that came to the Music Spectrum office recently from parts of Wisconsin and Minnesota. It seems as Midwesterners can swing that rock ‘n’ roll. I don’t mean neo-swing, “Jump Jive ‘n’ Wail.” I mean putting a little swing to a rock tune, letting it groove.

Take Mark Croft, for instance, and his aptly titled Sympathetic Groove album. This Madison, Wisconsin, singer/songwriter has layered his songs with blues and jazz-influenced guitar and percussion. “Don’t Speak” spins on blues guitar licks and organ wash while maintaining a pop rock core. “Angels” builds from an acoustic guitar base, hammering on the off-beat for a Jam Band groove. Taking cues from Peter Mayer or Cliff Eberhardt perhaps, “She’s a Landslide” reels with a blues folk.

“America” starts off much like the guitar line of the Barenaked Ladies’ “Pinch Me” before opening to a chorus that’s like a big John Mayer anthem. Those jazzing grooves put Croft next to Mayer in the Spectrum. Mayer is the easiest touchpoint, but casting the comparison net to other indie artists, Croft is putting that swing to his guitar-led tunes much like Matt Woods (reviewed in August’s Music Spectrum). For fans of John Mayer, Croft and Woods would make great additions to your collection.

Thanks to Mark Croft, Abacus Music, and Slothtrop Music for the review copy.