Mark Elliott Driver – Alas (2021)
Mark Elliott Driver is reaching out to people with his two-track EP Alas. Through the songs, he calls out to people to look beyond political instability and toward nature. There you are able to find perspective and learn about yourself as his gentle and uplifting music washes over you. Blending English and Spanish lyrics for the EP, he fuses them to acoustic tones influenced by jazz and orchestral compositions.
The music continues to touch on what inspired Driver to start writing songs, the Chilean revolution of October 2019. Working with musicians from both the UK and Chile, the EP was recorded and produced remotely without the musicians ever being in the same place. Bringing natural landscapes to an altered reality, the EP has you reaching out for the peace that only nature can provide.
The title track ‘Alas’ opens the EP and a gentle bird chirp. The acoustic melody is laid-back and acts like the warm sun glittering through the leaves of the trees that the bird song comes from. There is a very peaceful feeling to the music while Driver’s Spanish vocals pull you into a relaxed meditation. The orchestral tones of the low levels are a plush cushion that you sink into while his voice plays across your senses. The song rests on you like those moments when you lay back on the grass and just soak up everything nature has to offer. You don’t even need to understand what the lyrics say to know what they mean. The melody does pick up slightly to have you smiling before dropping back for a gentle softness.
The second track ‘No Me Quedo Claro’ continues the tender tones of the title track but there is more warmth to the music. This comes through on the guitar that makes you think of a walk through the woods. While embracing the wonder of nature, this song does so in a very different way to the other song. The more subdued feeling to the vocals and melody has you breathing deeply and filled with awe. There is an electronic line that zings and warbles through the organic tones of the melody that is a delightful contrast of modernity to the natural world. While the lyrics are also in Spanish, Driver’s vocal delivery pulls at the centre of your chest to send you soaring on the warm air single’s vibes.
Mark Elliott Driver has you embracing the peace and tranquillity of nature through his two-track EP Alas. While both songs are sung in Spanish, the warm movement of Driver’s vocals bring the message home even if you don’t understand the words. The melodies of the two-track are both peaceful while hitting in a different way from warm sunny days to relaxing walks in the woods.
Find out more about Mark Elliott Driver on his Instagram and Spotify.
