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The Truth Can Be Brutal

Julianne Zaharis | Maine | 07/30/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mark Lind is truly a representation of a modern Renaissance man. I have been following his career for some time now and each new release becomes my favorite, which would essentially make "The Truth Can Be Brutal" my favorite. There aren't many artists who can take a true reflection on life and society while having you jam to the melodic tune. Songs like "Familiar face" for me reach into my soul. It speaks of the haunting faces of those who allude us. On a sidetracked personal note it speaks on a personal level of my own face haunting me of the person who I strive to be, but wake up to the face of reality. Then we continue with songs that simply amaze me, such as "Dagger". I am originally from the South where religion is a dominant part of the culture and forced into your everyday life. This song makes me jump up and down with my fists raised singing trademark lines, such as "Don't force your faith on me". This song has such relative importance on the distortion of religion and the seeming lose of the separation of church and state. On a lighter note there are songs like "Coke and Jack", with a melody of pure spunk this song will have you dancing and singing, even if you don't know the words. Now I could go on and on about this cd, but to recommend it is truly and understatement. This cd should be and essential part of everyone's collection."

Some things get better with age

BK | Maine | 07/04/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"We all hate to compare artists to others but it is inevitable and I am sure Mr. Lind will agree on that. I picked up Mark's new CD at the Portland, Maine show on 6/28/08 because Bull Moose couldn't get it in their store in time after pre-ordering their album to support the band. There are VERY few artists that have true improvement in their songwriting as time goes on. Specifically, there are only two artists that I truly feel improves with each release and that is Social Distortion/Mike Ness & Mark Lind/Ducky Boys. Both improve their craft with each release. I have been following Mark Lind's music since I discovered Ducky Boys in 1999 with their Dark Days release, so it is fair to say I am a longtime "fan" if you will. In 2006 Mark released 2 amazing albums on the same day with his first solo outing "Death or Jail" and "The War Back Home" from the Ducky Boys. Both were great albums and both appealed to different sides of me. Although it is easy to say that Mark's solo material is an extension of Ducky Boys I appreciate them both on different levels. After a self released EP that had some good tracks Mark announced "The Truth Can Be Brutal" was on the way. It is easy to say it was worth the wait and yet another step forward. Every track stands on its own and has an amazing amount of hooks and harmony. "The Truth Can Be Brutal" elevates Mark Lind & The Unloved to new level and it is criminal that his songwriting has been neglected on a larger level. As a longtime follower I am pleased to say Mark has maintained his musical integrity while branching out just enough to keep it different. Highlights for me on the album are "Familiar Face" as The harmonies are amazing yet subtle and the lyrics are easy to identify with, "Dagger" shows Mark taking a risk like he did with "Bombs Away" on "The War Back Home" and it works well and the lyrics are great and "An Open Letter To Boston" is Mark's version of "Story of My Life" and the song is probably the most unique on the album for me which makes it a stand out. If you enjoy good old rock and roll with a kick of punk than this is a perfect album for you. I only have one complaint.....it needs MORE songs! I applaud Mark and the Unloved on a great album and I am already looking forward to the next release! Although my ipod will be stuck on this one for months to come....."