Review: Mark Barrot – Sketches From An Island

If you follow the surfing community, even casually, then you might know the name Ozzie Wright and his colorful piece of art, “Anti Bad Vibe Shield.” Mark Barrot’s new album could be the soundtrack for that piece of art. It starts off with a smooth, island-funk intro that sounds like something from Ethiopian jazz legend Mulatu Astatke. As great as that intro is, it still sounds like something I’ve heard before. It’s fun, but not entirely original. But as the album progresses, the tempo continually calms and becomes something foreign to me. There’s some Spanish guitar, unusual percussion and world sounds. Although the music feels like it could fit on a Sounds of Nature compilation, it still strikes me as bizarre, even as it relaxes me. It’s like stepping into Salvador Dalí’s “The Persistence of Memory” painting and somehow feeling at peace. –Justin Gallegos