It`s been a long time away but Mark Bacino returns! With two critically acclaimed, power-pop obsessed releases to his credit, 1998`s "Pop Job" (Parasol) and 2003`s "The Million Dollar Milkshake" (Parasol/Nippon Crown), Bacino returns to the fray with `Queens English` a self-produced album he describes as `a melancholy love-letter to NYC & life in its outer-boroughs`. With its eclectic mixture of pop, rock, ragtime-y music hall and orchestral fare, `Queens English` seamlessly blends its palette of tack pianos, acoustic guitars, horns, strings and things into concise, two and a half minute blasts of hook-laden songcraft reminiscent of Nilsson, Newman, solo Macca and `Muswell Hillbillies`-era Kinks. "4 stars. In classic pop of the Brian Wilson/Harry Nilsson variety -- the kind that has influenced everything from `70s power pop to the more contemporary exploits of Panda Bear, the Ruby Suns, et al -- youthful na�¯vete is a big part of the package. Without that boyish innocence, songs like "Wouldn`t It Be Nice" would seem rather creepy. That`s what makes New York songwriter Mark Bacino`s accomplishment on Queens English such a welcome anomaly. Bacino is the sort who has assimilated pop in all its forms, from Burt Bacharach to Squeeze, and his first two albums aren`t lacking in sparkling melodic moments, but Queens English proves that it`s possible to introduce actual maturity into pop with no adverse effects...The fact that Bacino also manages to pull this off without ever seeming cloying or overly earnest makes his feat all the more impressive, and ultimately fills the listener with a sense of optimism for the future of pure pop music made by full-fledged adults. "- AMG. "Keeping the great hooks, melodies, and pop sensibility, this album seems thematically more mature than the previous albums, and is an amazing set of awesome songs. I got the chance to ask Mark a few questions, and I thought I would share them with you here."- Pop Underground. "8 out of 10. After the idyllic intro we get to the the title track, a love letter to his favorite borough. It`s a rockin` jam full of guitars, keys and jubilant pop spirit. Then the album switches gears into a more restrained celebration of domestic bliss starting with the Randy Newmanesque `Happy.`
Following that is the album`s highlight `Muffin In The Oven` with wonderful horn accents, and a killer guitar solo during the break. `Camp Elmo` and `Bridge & Tunnel` are Harry Nilsson inspired tunes about suburban fatherhood. `Middle Town` and `Ballad of M & L` continues the sunny laid back atmosphere of his neighborhood in the folky tradition of John Sebastian..Fans of Mark`s earlier work may be disappointed by the lack of `power` in this pop album, but it stands on its own as an intimate and moving self-portrait. Fans of Paul Simon`s NYC centered songs will find much to cherish here." - Rock And Roll Report.
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