Marc Valentine | Uncommon Side Effects

Our very own bastion of the glam-infused power pop anthem Marc Valentine steps forward once again to deliver his third solo album, Uncommon Side Effects. It’s yet another vibrant and uplifting collection of songs which is guaranteed to lift your spirits and put a smile on your face even in this ever-challenging world that surrounds us all now.

It’s hard to believe that it’s two years since the release of Marc Valentine’s last album, Basement Sparks, which was his second solo album and his first for Steven Van Zandt’s Wicked Cool Label. But since that release, which Marc described as his “most complete album to date”, it’s also evident that the wheels have never stopped turning as he has found himself in various previously unchartered territories around the world, continuing to gain new fans for his uplifting songs which are always fuelled by an outpouring of jangling guitars, crunching rhythms, glorious melodies and sing-a-long chorus lines.

Aside from his usual string of UK based shows, this past year or so has seen Marc perform his first ever dates in the USA as well as shows in Sweden and Germany, the International Pop Overthrow festival in Liverpool and Copenhagen, together with a run of Italian dates with some of Marc’s teenage heroes, The Boys. But even after all that, with Marc’s never ending relentless streak still in full swing, he and his band, comprising Richard Davies (guitar), Richie Poynton (bass), Neil Scully (keyboards) and Rik Pratt (drums), still found time to head down to Worcestershire’s Old Cider Press Studios to work with producer Dave Draper (Professionals, Wildhearts, Dodgy) on a new collection of songs which now comprise his new album, Uncommon Side Effects.

NY UAP opens with a majestic swirl of brightly coloured effluent keys before it ignites into a joyful explosion of fuzzed-up power pop which is guaranteed to bring you out of your darkest moods. And as Marc sings “I chained my heart to a radio station, going coast to coast like a sonic mutation” he explains the inspiration as follows, “NY UAP’ is basically an allegory for life on the road. The inspiration for the song came while touring the US east coast, which happened to coincide with the infamous New Jersey UAP (unidentified aerial phenomena) sightings. I was wondering if they had an equivalent to rock’n’roll in their existence… and maybe they were on the ultimate inter-dimensional tour.” And no question at all in my mind that this three-minute blast of energy provides the perfect road map for what is to follow.

High In The Underground is described by Marc as being “about misadventures of youth and chasing rock’n’roll dreams” and there is little doubt that it has a Lou Reed style swagger as it blends a classic brand of gritty urban rock with catchy glam-rock hooks making it instantly memorable. Conversely, You Are The Jet is a song born out of a time of reflection towards a lost loved one which was written, as Marc explains, “while stuck in a traffic jam, staring at the back of a garbage truck.” But whilst initially being consumed by a sense of regret, the fuzzed up guitars and uplifting melodies seem to lift the mood as Marc seems to find a sense of positivity and inspiration from a time of adversity.

Whilst Loneliest Part has a more melancholy feel as Marc reflects on “a world without heart, and I can find no trace of the human race right now,” the core of the album bursts with roaring sharp edged guitars, punchy rhythms and uplifting chorus lines as songs like The Other Side, Tiger On Glass and Hanging On A Dream ride the crest of a power-pop centric world which exudes rock’n’roll finesse.

In Half Moon Pendant, Marc strips things right back to a more acoustically based arrangement with a slow bitter-sweet ballad that seems to reflect on more difficult times before Temporary Buzz explodes in a fast-paced Ramones style romp. When The Light Has Gone closes the album on yet another positive note with its repetitive rhythm and heartfelt vocal providing an affirmation of support for someone in need.

As an album undoubtedly inspired by life on the road, Uncommon Side Effects is shaped with Marc Valentine’s timeless rock’n’roll attitude and his fusion of 70s glam melody and punk energy continues to redefine a classic brand of uplifting and heartfelt power-pop which is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.

To support the release of this album, you can catch Marc Valentine on tour in the UK and in Europe at the following dates:

April
10 – Water Rats, London
11 – HMV, Norwich (album launch show)
22 – Wedgewood, Portsmouth
23 – Tuppenny, Swindon
24 – Hope & Anchor, London
25 – Steel Bar, Corby
May
01 – Fox & Newt, Leeds
02 – Salford Eagle, Manchester
03 – Voodoo Daddys, Norwich
08 – Medley, Malmö, Sweden
09 – Encore Music Club, Sundbyberg, Sweden
30 – Cavern Club, Liverpool (International Pop Overthrow)
31 – Call Of The Wild Festival, Lincoln
July
10 – Trillians, Newcastle
11 – Giffard, Wolverhampton

You can buy tickets for live shows here.

You can buy the album here and stream it here.

You can find Marc Valentine on Facebook, Instagram , Bandcamp and his website.

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All words by Ian Corbridge. You can find more of his writing at his author profile here.