Marc Broussard – Carencro

Marc Broussard
Artist: Marc Broussard
Title: Carencro
Label: Universal
Rating: 5/10

CORPORATE LINE: Broussard’s high octane take-off uses no formula at all. Instead he offers a blend of abilities, styles and enthusiasms uniquely adapted to himself on his debut album, Carencro. He calls himself “a white boy singing soul music.” But that’s deceptive because his music draws from everything he’s absorbed. “I feel like I’ve melded a bunch of things together that people haven’t focused on for a long time.” In his songs can be heard influences and accents ranging from soul men like Stevie Wonder and Brian McKnight to Louisiana icons like Johnny Allan and G.G. Shin to road warriors like Dave Matthews. What the 22-year old Broussard takes from all of this is a sense of craft and above all, great depth of feeling. That’s what makes him so soulful. Well, that and his husky baritone with a range similar to Wonder, or another influence, Donny Hathaway. Like them, Broussard moves up and down the scales without any sign of effort—the hard work he puts into his music isn’t meant to show. When it comes to music, Broussard is like a bayou rendition of The Natural.

THE GREAT:
“Home” – Marc Broussard is the epitome of looks being deceiving. He is as white, and ordinary as any singer yet evokes the blues like it’s in his veins.

THE AVERAGE:
“Come Around” – A little soul, little rock, little Lenny, a little this and that and then all of the sudden Broussard is back.
“Lonely Night In Georgia” – Evoking soul isn’t easy—but Broussard makes it seem so.

THE BAD:
“Rocksteady” – It’s a damn shame that the same guy who sang “Home” offers up such a dud.
“The Beauty of Who You Are” – Four years ago Broussard would have been stuffed in a box with all the other boy bands with a song like this.

FRANKLY: Marc Broussard kicks up so much dust on “Home” that it shouldn’t be a surprise that he couldn’t keep it up. After that it’s mostly down hill. The question is simple; why doesn’t Broussard stick with tracks like “Home” and “Come Around”? Had he opted to go for his strengths this would be a diamond in the rough.

+ Rae Gun


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