Marc Broussard

“CARENCO”

Island Records

While Marc Broussard was born on the bayou a mere 22 years ago, at first listen, you might feel the soul of his Louisiana musical brethren from many years prior in his music. That’s not by coincidence. Steeped in generations of familial musical talent, Broussard’s debut, “Carenco,” resonates with more maturity than one might expect – using the title of the second tune, rock steady. Marc’s father, Ted Broussard, is a Louisiana Hall of Fame guitarist, so he did have a bit of a head start, but from the sounds of this CD, I can’t see why the tradition can’t continue. When I hear his smooth, slick baritone voice and classy, well-written lyrics, I think about how Broussard’s musical wisdom and heritage set him above the exasperating cookie-cutter pop star, and for all of our sakes, hope that the mainstream can hear and feel the difference.

Released in early August, the 51-minute CD is a solid mix of southern rock, soul, blues, gospel and country. The first thought that comes to mind when I hear each tune is self-assured. The first tune, “Home” sets us straight that Broussard has his own strong and spirited sound, but as we move further into the CD, we sense that he smartly channels the energy of idols like Stevie Wonder, Brian McKnight and Johnny Allan. Through various tracks such as “Rocksteady,” “Come Around,” and “Where You Are,” Broussard evokes the brightness that guided Stevie Wonder’s music of the 1960’s and 1970’s and the smooth sensations of the likes of a McKnight. At the same time, the music is steadied by a subtle, yet thick, southern blues and country guitar-strumming in the background.

Broussard has been on the road over the last year, and continues touring into this Fall, honing his craft in the company of musical notoriety such as The Dave Matthews Band, Willie Nelson, moe., Tori Amos and a wild variety of other such talent. With all this exposure, you’ll be surprised to hear that Broussard says “the kind of artist that he hopes to evolve into is Prince.” “……to do the whole thing as well as I can and have people dig it.” What more can I say, except that therein lies the difference between a young artist that knows music and the ones that get pumped through the mainstream machine, spit out, and then quickly dry up. Thankfully, Broussard is pursing the goal his own way.

- David Geller

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