Money Mark "Brand New by Tomorrow" (Brushfire)
By Jared Brownell
Tuesday. Apr 24, 1:19 PM
Happy heartbreak mix tape.

Never before has heartbreak been so good. Money Mark, most noted for his work with Beastie Boys, is now a proven singer/songwriter. The backbone of his music is a somewhat funky, somewhat jazzy, always soulful organ/piano mix supported by the occasional acoustical guitar. Stylistically, it’s all over the map: a mix tape of sorts for the introspective, the upbeat, and the days of nothing to do. The common thread of it all is a whimsical and carefree exploration of heartbreak and misery. A listen though Brand New by Tomorrow leaves no question of Money Mark’s talent as a pop craftsman.

Yet when surface melodies are scratched away and you get into the meat of the album, you realize the lyrics come up short. It feels as if rhyme is accommodated over meaning. Lyrics like, "You walk around with your dirty old crown / your pride you just never swallow it / you think you own this town well maybe you did / I just didn't follow it" takes you out of the mood and makes you wonder if Money Mark took the "it's good enough" approach to several of the tracks. But again, everything sounds great. So it boils down to what you want more of: style or substance. However, if you prefer to have your cake and eat it too, there are certainly a few standouts here.

“Black Butterfly” is where the disjointed lyrics finally work for him: "Brown dirt / blue water / fuchsia colored sky / black butterfly, you're my black butterfly." It crafts imagery that’s both hopeful and bleak in the same moment. The title track ties it all together. Whereas everything else is of an (deceptively) upbeat nature, this song serves as a retrospective. Money Mark has taken you through a whole album as the proverbial alchemist turning heartbreak into happiness. Now he plays his hand and things are not as they seem: every poppy melody and hook is stripped away, leaving just him and a strumming guitar. "Something's fade away / ours is turning into memories / I guess there is no way to avoid a broken heart / I used to love the games we play / now I have to stay on my side of the street." He gets to the raw truth and it's a relief. The tone of the music finally flows with his lyrics as he reveals the man behind the curtain.
www.moneymark.com
www.brushfirerecords.com

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Jared Brownell

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