I’ve long been a fan of Mark Mangold’s but have not until recently heard his two solo album the first one Mirror Image is a good album of piano based  songs with native American influences. This though,  his second album, is a slightly more up-lifting experience (do you have to? Ed). In the main the tracks are built around Mangold's keyboards and vocals and is a collection of songs with a myriad of influences. From the ting like opening track to the gospel influenced Feelin' It, to the African influences of 'Holy Water' there is a lot of variation on display, and that’s just in the first three tracks. Lift is most definitely an album of contrasting musical styles that somehow work together to create a whole than is greater than the sum of the parts. The keyboard work is very much in the Bruce Hornsby style at times and Mangold has a more than capable voice which is both aided and abetted by whole host of backing vocalists as individual songs demand.

The only negative comments I have to make are about the lyrical content.  I think it’s safe to say that Mark Mangold is a very spiritual person and his lyrics reflect that. I don’t mind this at all, however it may limit it’s appeal some what as some of the tracks sound as they could be performed in a place of worship. However of particular interest to the AOR/Melodic crowd will be tracks 13 and 16 respectively. The first of those, 'Word for Word', is a song Danny Vaughn reworked into the title track from the first Vaughn album 'Soldiers & Sailors On Riverside' whereas the later sees Mangold re-visit the track that he co-wrote with Michael Bolton that re-launched Cher’s career.Yep it's 'I Found Someone' and nobody can play that intro like Mangold and this version is every bit as good as Cher's world wide smash hit

To sum up Lift is a well played, well constructed album of excellently produced songs.  Other than my comments about the lyrical stance  I can recommend to any fans of Mark Mangold, Elton John, Bruce Hornsby and is definitely a complete contrast to Mangolds  more “rock” orientated work. But surely is that not the point of  a solo album.

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Track List

Lift
Feelin' It
Holy Water
Ordinary Life
Confess Your Love
Promises (The Martyr)
So Do I
What It Feels Like
Where Is My Miracle?
Y?
You Are Love
My Soul
Word For Word
Crack In The Wall
All I Know
I Found Someone

Line Up

Mark Mangold - Vocals/Keyboards
AL Fritsch - Guitars
Dave Santos - Bass
Kenny Aronoff - Drums
Jonathan Mover - Drums
Chuck Bonfante - Drums
Ralph Farris - Violin/Viola