reax music magazine :: music + culture » Reviews » Leigh Marble - Red Tornado

Quirky folk/indie-pop purveyor Marble apparently didn't get to vent all of his “hey-aren't-I-clever” smugness in obscure hip-hop parody unit the Buttery Lords, because his second proper solo full-length brims with it. Not that you've gotta be a total mopester when churning out smart singer-songwriter fare – just look at Spoon, an apt comparison point for this Portland, Oregon resident's long-overdue latest batch of songs. And there are some great tunes here, delivered with a subtly gritty mix that keeps things just raw enough. But what sounds suspiciously like Marble's confidence in his own eccentric brilliance occasionally threatens to dilute the strength of his well-crafted material. – Scott Harrell