Going by the somewhat unusual moniker of Markia, Mark Gooneratne is a man on a mission. That mission is very explicitly stated on the inside of his 2nd album: Mark believes that he is anointed to win this generation for God. And from his achievements not many would dispute him; at the tender age of 23, he has accomplished more than most people would dream: he has created his own record label, performed with numerous R&B acts in Melbourne, released a solo debut album (Heaven Sent Instrument) and much more besides these. Markia leads worship at St. Kilda Community Church, and is a prominent member of Youth Alive Victoria. With all this taken into context, does his second album live up to expectations?
Track Listing:
- M.I.A. Intro
- Get Lifted
- Can't Lie
- Sideline (feat. Tino)
- Exchange My Mistakes (feat. Lozza)
- Unlucky Luv
- Tell Me What It Iz
- Give Ur Best Shot
- The Call (feat. The El-Shaddai Crew)
- That's What I Need
- Selfish Ambition (Interlude)
- Carry Me Home
- Fix Me
- Victory (feat. 2-11)
- Run 2 U
- Send Me (feat. Ry)
- Imagine
A first glance at this album shows a long track list. For any album, 17 tracks is lengthy, and by about the 12th track the reader can become tired of listening. There is sufficient variation on this LP, though, to ensure that boredom is not a possible outcome. The intro begins with a Barack-Obama sound-alike that is exhorting someone to follow God's plan. A semi-acoustic drum kit kicks in soon after, and Markia adds impassioned vocals to create a rock-infused R&B track. "Get Lifted", a lyrically uplifting rapfest gets the blood pumping, while the effects on "Can't Lie" are tastefully added to paint a full musical background. "Sideline" is one of the highlights on this album, aggressively questioning whether the listener is a hypocrite about their beliefs. Throughout the album, the intensity doesn't let up, and "Imagine" is a fitting closer.
Markia is adept at penning his thoughts down and turning them into catchy tunes. As an urban/hip-hop musician, his lyrics are very direct in their "preachiness" as some skeptics might call it. It is this directness, though, that gives the album its uniqueness; in "Can't Lie", the vocal loop at the start sings "No I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ", after which Markia's vocals take centre-stage in a soul-pop track. "That's What I Need" starts off with Markia talking about a woman who "got a love for the Lord that can't be replaced by the things of the world", and most of the other tracks offer different perspectives into his relationship with God, as opposed to the usual generic worship track. While it may not be accepted readily by the secular market, Christians will be overjoyed at this seamless fusion of Godly lyrics and classy R&B.
Stylistically, Markia sticks to the tried and true formula of rap and R&B, mixing the two in different tracks to create sufficient variation. Throwbacks to funk and 90's stalwart R. Kelly are apparent "Sideline", and "Run 2 U", while more hardcore rap elements are brought in by guest stars (The El-Shaddai Crew, Lozza, etc. most on Markia's record label). Electro rap-pop is also present in the form of "Send Me". Effects are used well, with little flourishes such as the chimes intro in "Fix Me". There is also a good use of guitar plucking on songs like "That's What I Need" and "Victory", while the drum loops are varied and not monotonous.
O.K. here's where I usually rant on about an album's shortcomings, and how it failed in this area and that, and that, and that, and oh, did I mention that? But I am pleasantly surprised to inform you, the reader, that this album does not have any explicit flaws. If there is anything wrong with it, it is that Markia has not broken any new ground with this release, but let's be honest, how many albums nowadays do that? (And please, for the love of everything good do NOT say Panic at the Disco) Markia strikes the perfect balance between rap, R&B and gospel, with a touch of funky soul-pop thrown in. It is unfortunate that the mainstream audience are unlikely to lap this up (on the basis of lyrical directness), but that should be viewed as a positive because Markia has not diluted his message in any way, as so many other Christian artists have (*cough* The Fray *cough*). To condense this review into one word: Class.
Rating: 4.9/5
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