Rock Music News: Mark Knight & The Unsung Heroes – Lonesome Songs (2024)

And out of nowhere it’s here – with no fanfare and no publicity, Mark Knight & The Unsung Heroes new record ‘Lonesome Songs’ has arrived, landing unannounced on June 6th. As someone who has followed Mark’s music from Bang Tango to the Worry Beads and Gravy, all the way to the solo records and The Unsung Heroes this record just might be where Mark has thrown a little caution to the wind. On ‘Lonesome Songs’ he’s not only drawn all those colorful threads of his musical past together, but he’s also broken new ground with some songs that step right out of the comfort zone of blues tinged Americana – or ‘Calicana’ as I’ve dubbed it in the past. For me it’s a great honor to let you all know about it first. I’ve been living with the record over the last week or so, the first outside family and band to hear it, and it’s been a wonderful week despite the rain in the usually very Californian climate of Western Australia. I suggest you pour a glass and just settle down with this one because it’s a record you won’t be putting down anytime soon.

Opener ‘Beg’ has you from the first chord, it’s a wonderful song that lyrically has shots of personal experience like all the best tales do. It’s part a reflection on life and part an ode to the impossibility of giving up Rock and Roll when it’s in your blood. An infectious riff and strong chorus and damn cool solo hit a wonderful groove that few find so effortlessly, and the song rides it beautifully, through a tale of life and changes. “This is the best thing I’ve heard all year” I found myself saying on first listen, and it just gets better with repeated plays.

‘San Fernando Valley’ starts with gentle acoustic guitar and is a tale of good honest work with a folky lilt and touch of Drive By Truckers. Telling of “salty ocean waters and snow capped mountain tops” it’s both an ode to home and a realization that it might just be where we’ll stay. Mark is soloing more than usual on this record and the solos themselves are both integral to the songs and the aural soundtrack of the album, Guitar wise I don’t think I’ve ever been this impressed. It’s a real art to craft a memorable solo and this album has 11 of them that really lift the compositions. There’s a grit and authenticity to the words that is neither too glossy nor too sentimental. You feel a real sense that Mark has found his space lyrically, balancing storytelling, grit and imagery with shots of light and shade and snatches of personal experience that escape all cliche.

After those two beauties ‘Last Night’s Parade’ comes on smoother and more sentimental as Mark reminds us that “Even the good ones don’t last that long”. It’s the sort of song Petty would have been proud of and there are some sublime Dylanesque inflections. ‘Shut Down’ starts with a bluesy guitar patten and tells a tale of living on the fringe, on the edge of, I assume, the covid shutdown in a ‘backwoods town’. It’s gritty and real, and the fiery solo like in a lot of these songs is beautifully poised and perfect for the moment it launches itself out of the speakers. Mark has learnt over the years how to make all parts of his songs grab you – from  inspired introductions to beautiful closures but he’s never done it better than on this record.

‘Put it on Yourself’ starts slow and mellow, it’s a very different song is and painted to bring out all the facets of Knight’s voice. There’s an underlying swing and some wonderfully picked notes, and harmonized backing vocals that add another layer. It’s the biggest curveball so far, and yet sounds so comfortable in this collection. And it’s songs like these that open the doors of possibility for the future. Love it or not it’s wonderful to hear an artist not afraid to strike out with something new.

Title track ‘Lonesome Songs’ lands dead centre and to me is almost Mark Knight’s ‘Cowboy Song’ It’s huge, beautifully set, and let’s the music support the road weary lyric, there’s so much honesty, world weariness and untarnished contemplation in the words… it’s wonderful and one of my very favourites here.

‘These Days’ lifts the mood and strides out confidently, telling us things will change but it’s you that changes, it’s a sure fire winner for fans of The Unsung Heroes previous work and the rocking solo it’s another gem. ‘Ain’t The First Time’ that follows shoots out more hope, on one hand it’s a simple contemplation of the past, of human nature and of lost dreams versus moving forward. There’s a wonderful circular guitar pattern underlines it all. It’s a song that doesn’t need a peak, it just strikes a perfect balance.

‘I Do’ tells of visions of a haunted past and features a duet with Mark’s daughter, it’s haunting, like an excerpt from a dream and another song that nudges in a different direction. ‘I Don’t Know Anything’ that follows is the most electrified song here, and has a freshness about it that makes it timeless. There are touches of The Cars and The Heartbreakers, and a wonderful repeated guitar refrain that is solid gold and as the song progresses it morphs into one of my favourite solos on the record. If this had airplay I could see it as a huge single, in it’s own right. I love it, it might even be my favourite song here.

The final word though goes to  ‘Stop the Rain’ the longest song in this collection. It’s a song that has space and air, a ballad with verses and chorus that just hang beautifully in the thick air. It’s another interesting turn, indefinable by genre labels, it’s a crazily great way to end what has been a memorable ride.

Musically this sounds like a band of brothers – there’s a sense that the musicians here have a chemistry you might spend years trying to nurture and never find. Lyrically Mark has found his space too, and an economy and a palate that set him aside. Production is also top notch: there a clarity without eschewing a certain grit that has always been an essential part of Mark’s sound. I love the layering and the textures in the guitars. This pot has been stirred just right.  I’m tempted to say that this might just be Mark’s best release so far because there’s a real sense that everything has been nudged and caressed lovingly into place. This is an album you feel comes from the heart and that makes all the difference in the world, and sometimes it’s that heart that leads you to take the less travelled path. Over the years I’ve known Mark, he’s introduced me to some great artists and for someone who listens to a lot of great music of this ilk I can honestly say that this Mark Knight and the Unsung Heroes record is up there with the likes of Larkin Poe, Jason Isbell, Petterson Hood and Justin Townes Earle to name but a few.

9/10

PLEASE NOTE: Album cover will be updated on release day…

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