Marker Starling – Uphill battle (from the album Rosy maze, Tin Angel Records)

We mentioned the sublime ‘Husbands’ from Mr Chris Cummings some weeks ago, that’s Marker Starling under his nom de musique.

Next off the very sweet Rosy maze album is the nourishing sound of ‘Uphill battle’.

Coming in with a distinct Stevie Winwood feel – with that electric piano it’s inescapable – it preserves that tone through later deceptively smooth soul stylings.

Restrained brass swells, those electric piano stabs and a brilliantly offbeat chorus of backing vocals.

The backing is so sweet it takes a minute for the painful lyric reflections to register –

what’s at stake I can’t say but it’s more than just the vapours of unvarnished pride

That same verse has the icing on the cake of a host of comforting ooh-ooh-ooh backing vocals, bringing you right into the realm of classic 60s girl group glory.

It’s a low key pleasure this one but there’s a lovely slow burn quality to it that will get you through the rest of those April showers.

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