In The Spin

Six Interlocking Pieces
Mark Allen Band

You might get the impression that we at "In the Spin" hate everything we hear on the radio. That's often true; we tend to have a low tolerance for the shiny, over-produced stuff that radio and record labels love to push. But as much as Chad or I would hate to admit it, sometimes straight-forward, mainstream music is just what people want to hear. The Mark Allen Band plays just that kind of music.....no-nonsense stuff that only aspires to make the listener have fun.

The songs on Six Interlocking Pieces are something of a time machine; the album feels like 80s metal with more complex harmonies and a funky sensibility. "Wishing Well" is a slick number with a rock/funk edge, while "I Will Be There" is calmer, with a Journey-like emotional quality. "I Need A Lover" is an engaging power ballad with a much softer edge than the cynical John Mellencamp classic of the same name.

The Mark Allen Band has a nostalgic quality for me; they remind me of my college days, in the mid-80s, when I'd spend the weekends watching tight bar bands with unrelenting control over their music. The crowds in those bars always enjoyed the show, and those same crowds would no doubt enjoy the Mark Allen Band. And sometimes, that's all that matters. (EG)