March 22, 2007

Money Mark

Brand New By Tomorrow

6 / 10 In the mid-’90s, Mark Ramos-Nishita was, basically, Beck with charm. This multi-instrumentalist was as adept at fuzzy, funky wig-outs (1995’s ‘Mark’s Keyboard Repair’) as he was sweet, snappy Costello-like guitar pop (1998’s ‘Push The Button’), but all were daft, crumpled, heartfelt missives. A decade on, the Beastie Boys collaborator is in ruminative mode. Shuffling beats and his trademark ’70s funk-jazz keyboards are at a premium; there’s nothing here to rock Club NME. Instead, we find exquisite Beatles-indebted pop, moments of effortless lyrical and melodic brilliance and a few tunes which drift dangerously close to easy listening. Well, this is issued on Jack Johnson’s label, after all.

Tony Naylor

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