Mark Wilkinson – Cellophane Life

Mark Wilkinson – Cellophane Life Cd review by Chris Spencer
Wilkinson is a singer songwriter from Sydney and with this ep, has produced an accomplished recording of 6 songs of acoustic pop. Some reviewers have labelled him a natural storyteller. I disagree with that description as I found his lyrics complex, dense and I had difficulty in comprehending the themes of his songs. The lyrics are obtuse enough to cause the listener to find different meanings on subsequent listens. In “Cellophane Life” I liked the way the metaphor of cellophane is used. The song could be about a friend who has fake convictions or perhaps seeing the world through clouded eyes, or through cellophane paper, that is opaque yet not very strong. “So Much” is about breaking free of past chains’ “I Know I Never Spoke of This” could be about confessing to a past misendeavour, while the last two tracks cover falling in love and lost love. Wilkinson repeats the use of words such as mountain and climbing, indicating perhaps he is on a difficult upwards path to reach his goals or aspirations. His lyrics are not simple pop fare we may hear on top 40 and dance radio. However, musically I like his voice, his arrangements and construction of his songs. His singing varies from passionate (as on “Cellophane Life” and “Baptism by Fire) to almost whispering during the introduction of “My Time”. While the standout track is the lead off track “Cellophane Life”, the last track, “The Best Thing” about a past relationship has many good qualities – good vocals, understated instrumentation. Mark has a good voice and he uses it well, varying its intensity and sound to ensure each track is different from each other. “I Know I Never Spoke of This” is slower and is underlined by the cello work of Peter Hollo. This release is recommended and I look forward to hearing his other recordings and future work.