In the mind of Norwegian singer/songwriter RHYS MARSH, The Fragile State of Inbetween is a lush, melodic place with blue skies, green fields and heady scents – plus a few dark clouds receding on the horizon. While a thread of melancholy runs through some of the songs here, particularly “Can’t Stop the Dreaming,” “Undone” and “I Watched, As You Disappeared,” the gorgeous music gives the impression less of an entry into despair than an exit out of the dark. Strings and mellotron wash over Marsh’s tunes without turning the songs to sap – his soft voice (reminiscent of Joe Pernice’s) and acoustic guitar remain the center of every arrangement. Nick Drake is the obvious touchstone here, but Marsh doesn’t sound like a clone. Instead, like kindred spirit Eric Matthews, Marsh is an unabashed fan of the same shimmering folk/pop sound and wants to adapt to the 21st century. Based on this beautiful record, he’s succeeded handily.
http://rhysmarsh.com
http://betterplacerecordings.com
