Hurrah for the return of solo Mark Owen. Since the stratospheric return of Take That, he (like all the other TT blokes) has provided some sparkling moments to the group (including Shine, Up All Night, Hold Up A Light and their cover of Every Day I Love You Less and Less). What people might be less aware of is that Mark had an entirely brilliant solo career inbetween the two reigns of Take That. I'll detail my top 5 solo songs of his in just a jiffy, but let us all rejoice, give thanks and celebrate that the likeable fella is back with a brand new single ("Stars") from his forthcoming album, The Art Of Doing Nothing. Which I happen to be very good at indeedio. The song builds over a haunting, elegiac piano melody that let's Mark's slightly otherworldly vocals take centre stage & guide the song forward. This all leads into a booming, percussive chorus that has this expansive soaring vibe to it - in no small part thanks to the intricate marriage of Mark's vocals & the instrumentation underscoring them. What is rather brilliant about the song is that it is clearly a growth & continuation of his previous solo material, yet seamlessly weaves in some Take That influences to ensure it appeals to their myriad of fans - it's cleverly done, yet remains distinctively Mark Owen. And like the song, the video (above) is a slightly off-kilter, trippy yet ultimately satisfying experience - Mark wandering the streets of Berlin in a spaceman costume, passing by fallen dinosaurs in abandoned amusement parks. Regardless of everything else, what you get is a smart, layered pop song that will stay with you long after the song has finished - and a fine addition to the Mark Owen cannon :) And here - as promised - are my five fave Mark Owen numbers:
- 05 ~ Child: His first single was touted as a mix of prog-rock with pop, and it totally works both as a dreamy standalone pop song AND as a stand-on-your-own-two-feet song following the split of Take That...
- 04 ~ Gravity: Lovely song from his second album that should have definitely been a single. Chorus to die for & Mark sounds vocally amazing. Quite delicious (and perfect to play in a themed mixtape after Stars :D)
- 03 ~ Making Out: Exquisitely sweet pop ditty from his finest album yet, How The Mighty Fall. Had a brilliant accompanying video that saw Mark and his romantic paramour as various characters just looking for their quiet moment of love :)
- 02 ~ Four Minute Warning: Utterly splendiferous comeback single after winning Celebrity Big Brother. Fast, frenetic, ridiculously catchy = it's no wonder it pogo'd up the charts & won a place in the nation's heart. Still sounds brilliant ten years on...
- 01 ~ Believe In The Boogie: By far my favourite Mark song - and one of my favourite songs of all time. Played next to Shine (for example), it stands up as a whip-smart slice of pop that should have mirrored that song's chart performance. I do a lovely piano version by the way... :)
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