Premiere: Mark Morriss – ‘This Is the Lie (And That’s the Truth)’

Ex-Bluetone gets introspective...

Mark Morriss is inseparable from The Bluetones.

A perennial chart staple of the Britpop era, the band's chirpy, melodic take on Great British Guitar Music resulted in some of the era's finest ear worms.

Turning solo, Mark Morriss recently laid down something quite different. 'A Flash Of Darkness' is rather more introspective, melancholic than his previous group, but that addiction to melody reigns supreme.

Set to be released on the resurgent Acid Jazz imprint, Mark Morriss explains that the album title was inspired by a rather unpleasant revelation: "The album title refers to that moment when you’ve just turned off the light and everything remains semi-lit for a split second. It’s a revelation of a bad thing, rather than a good thing."

New single 'This Is The Lie (And That's The Truth)' is out now, providing a glimpse of what to expect on the new album. Centred on a plangent acoustic guitar, the arrangement is simple, sparse, recalling the more pastoral moments of Traffic.

There's a defiantly late 60s feel, with Mark Morriss' vocal having a bittersweet Autumnal feel. Shot in the woods, the video for the track is every bit as simple and unobtrusive as you might expect – here, the song is the key.

Watch it now.

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'A Flash Of Darkness' is set to be released on February 24th.

The new issue of Clash magazine is out right now. It's always on the money with breakthrough acts worth listening to. So, go and see.

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