Marvin B Naylor...

'The Last Flight of Billy Balloon'

 

When I put Marvin B. Naylor’s album ‘The Last Flight of Billy Balloon’ into my laptop, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. The cover art is warped and distorted, a stretched cityscape being crushed by a huge red ball shape, and the man on the back cover looks more like an office worker than someone I’d recognise as an experimental musician... All, I can say is, I was wrong! The Last Flight of Billy Balloon is musical genius from beginning to end, an album I thoroughly enjoyed throughout.

The album kicks off with Little Piece of Magic, which is exactly that. With every instrument played by Naylor, it’s quirky, fun and easy to listen to. I’ve heard that Naylor plays a twelve string guitar and although I’m not musically knowledgeable enough to explain the merits of such a thing, the end result sounds great! His tone is niche and interesting, a breath of fresh air into today’s musical scene. I thought I could hear the influences of the 60’s and 70’s folk rock bands like Fleetwood Mac, which works well and Naylor is brave to keep running with his hands grasped around such a unique sound as this.

The songs Little Creatures and Portrait of a Woman stood out to me especially, and will definitely be going on my iPod for future listening. Portrait of a Woman was beautiful and spectacular, enthusing me with its stunning lyrics and vocals. The whole thing is beautifully and intrinsically written, making it really hard to stop listening to. I feel I can say I can end this review and listening experience feeling uplifted, like I’ve had a glimpse at a great mind. I will be eager to see what Marvin B. Naylor comes up with in the future!

 

Brought to you by our guest reviewer Amy