Singer, songwriter, guitarist, architect, playwright, and obvious polymath Mark Baughman returns with his latest genre-melting, progressive, artsy rock collection, The Distance. Starting at a very young age, Mark Baughman’s unencumbered musical output includes emotionally radiant rock operas, highly regarded albums, and now, his latest thematic musical adventure. Ready for Mark Baughman’s Working Theory and their current display of melodic musical art (basking in a childhood suffusion of The Beatles and The Beach Boys)? Let’s listen, and hit the highlights.
Wait. Who does what?
Mark, tackling nearly all instruments, vocals, recording, production, and mastering, is joined by Brian Petry (drums), Marco Cremaschini (organ and piano), and Jeff Miguel (saxophone).
And what’s the meaning, the inspiration behind, and/or the intent of The Distance?
Per Mark “The Distance is both more focused and expansive than previous efforts. The songs explore themes of disillusion and affirmation. As always, [I use my] ability to seamlessly pass between musical genres to explore the songs’ concepts, yet it all holds together as a single work.”
Listening, and talking about it (i.e., hitting the highlights).
The album kicks off with alternative rocker “Time and Space,” and it’s a punk-ish, distorted guitar-led, chest-puffing opener. Its slightly sludgy guitar undercurrent bristles with unrepentant attitude, and its chorus leans lighter with brief reflections in falsetto. Folks, this is real rock coming from a place of genuine, immediately inflected, undiluted feeling.
“Go the Distance” starts with soft organ and strumming, phasing guitar. It’s a low-speed, contemplative piece rubbing shoulders with a distinctive, 1970s-inspired sound glancing the surface of mild, glistening waters. There’s an uneasiness here, perhaps a bit of desperation, but it glides along with a calming meter of acceptance.
“Gabby Petito,” inspired by the famous influencer/traveling vlogger murdered by her fiance, paints a dirty, desperate tale with churning, distorted guitar strummed with the might and volume of a raging, spilling river. Interspersed with bits of Gabby’s vlogs and actual police body camera audio, “Gabby Petito” relives the harrowing experience while reviling the truth-obfuscating perpetrator.
“The Fields” is a bluegrass-inflected acoustic guitar instrumental that happily runs across open fields while soaking in the midday sun. It’s a big smile, a careless spinning on large river rocks, and something that diverts, briefly, the encroaching and painfully real.
“Sparrow’s Song,” with its hanging violin, calm guitar strumming, and fulcrum-defining piano, details a meeting with a young, put-upon woman in Colorado. A presumed addict, “Sparrow” was indeed suffering under a flurry of misfortunes, but Mark made her smile – an act he still considers one of his finest achievements.
“I Wouldn’t Want You,” detailing a futile long-distance relationship, barges in with big acoustic guitar, room-collapsing drums, and glass-spinning organ. It’s strong, desperate, emotionally divided, and perhaps a little tired – but it understands the hardship, accepts it, clenches its fists, and prepares again to make kindling of its obstacles.
Album closer “Ordinary People” is a slow, Led Zeppelin-ish galloper drawing from said band’s dramatic blues-based rock. It gets the point across – it doesn’t dally or divert, because the emotion conveyed would never embrace distraction. Closing with a rough and tumble, distortion-varnished electric guitar, “Ordinary People” presents the bustling populace as something comparable to ego-drained, automated non-player characters who can’t experience the profound – who can certainly live, but do so without living. Excellent track, and a poignant, unfortunately relevant closer.
But is it good?
Mark Baughman’s Working Theory project is authentic, friction-hot modern rock pulling from historical masters to create something musically and emotionally relevant. It’s rock music with guts, with heart, and with a little black soot speckling its hard-boiled shell. It’s all the feelings, and the catharsis is strong, clever, but never gaudy or extraneously wrapped. This is Mark Baughman’s melodic soul-speak flowing directly to your ears, and we’re here for every spirit-stirring sentence. HIGHLY recommended.
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BELOW: Listen to Mark Baughman’s Working Theory and check them out on Soundcloud, Spotify, Facebook, Instagram, and “X.” Please support Mark Baughman’s Working Theory by visiting their website and playing, downloading, and/or purchasing their music. And, as always, thank you for supporting real music.
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