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It is always interesting when you listen to an artist from the position of knowing a little about their back story. It is then that you can fully appreciate and perhaps even unpick the various sounds and styles found in their work. Everyone leaves fingerprints on everything they do, so if you know where to look, you can often still see the tell tale signs of the younger artist in their later work.
Such sonic detective work reveals plenty about the path that has taken Jeshua Marshall from his formative years to his current release, “Water”. Lyrically you can hear echoes of the religious household he grew up in and the folk music that was his first love. But also, there is something of Hendrix’s influence on his deft soloing, a hint of the swagger and muscle of his earlier punk days and the same blend of poise and raw-edged vocals that tell of his folk-punk past.
Now, as a solo artist, all of those influences have been channelled into a soulful, upbeat gospel sound, but one driven by breezy brass, groovesome, funky rhythms, slick guitar licks and gorgeous and mature vocal tones. “Water” is the sound of the modern age being offered a new take on timeless sounds. It is also a reminder that there are plenty of new places to take the established genres of the past and that all sounds and styles are ripe for reinvention. How do I know? Because I have just listened to Jeshua Marshall, that’s how.
