Mark Sinnis

The debut solo album from the ominous Ninth House singer/bassist is a remarkably stark, terse collection of mostly acoustic songs including a small handful he’s played with the band. Sinnis proves he’s one of this era’s great Americana song stylists: he can croon with anyone. Vocally, this is an unabashedly romantic album, even given the bitter intensity of many of the songs. Most of them are simply Sinnis’ acoustic guitar and vocals, sometimes sparsely embellished with simple, eerily reverberating electric guitar lines from Brunch of the Living Dead’s Sara Landeau as well as gospel-tinged piano by Ninth House keyboardist Matt Dundas, violin from Susan Mitchell and lapsteel by Lenny Molotov. This is a kinder, gentler Mark Sinnis, a worthy substitute for anyone who misses Nick Cave since he went off to do his hard rock thing with Grinderman.

Sinnis’ dark, rich baritone is a potent instrument, whether roaring over the tumult of Ninth House or delivering with considerably more subtlety as he does here. Johnny Cash is the obvious influence, but there are also tinges of Roy Orbison on the understatedly bitter That’s Why I Won’t Love You, and even Elvis Presley circa His Hand in Mine on the austere ballad The Choice I Found in Fate. Sinnis’ lyrics are crystalline and polished: he doesn’t waste words; his melodies are deceptively simple and run through your head when you least expect them. Some highlights from the nineteen (!) songs on the cd: the haunting Five Days, a bitter look at how the hours are wasted on dayjob drudgery; the Carl Perkins-inflected It Takes Me Home, a long, slow, death-obsessed ride; the rousing Passing Time, a warning to anyone not aware that they should seize the day while it lasts; the Nashville gothic The Room Filled Beyond Your Door, featuring some impressively countrystyle guitar from Ninth House lead player Anti Dave; and a stripped-down version of the anguished Ninth House classic, Put a Stake Right Through It featuring some truly scary playing by Molotov. The production is beautifully uncluttered, obviously influenced by Cash’s Rick Rubin albums. This cd works on so many levels: as singer-songwriter album, as sultry country crooner album (get this for your girlfriend, or someone you would like to be your girlfriend), as well as a fascinating look at an unexpected side of one of today’s finest songwriters. CDs are available in better records stores, online and at shows. Mark Sinnis plays the cd release show for this album at the Slipper Room on March 16 at 10 PM. - Lucid Culture

“A voice as heartfelt as Michael Stipe's and a soul in the vein of Johnny Cash”
---Northeast In-Tune | An Alternative News Publication


“Singer Mark Sinnis comes across as something of a cross between Ian Curtis and Johnny Cash“
---Trifecta Show, NYC


“What a vocal performance. Sinnis has a wonderfully rich tone gorgeous on its own, his voice moves with an ease and versatility that would complement nearly any style of music. A natural vibrato that resembles Morissey, Martin Gore of Depeche Mode, Mark Eitzel of American Music Club, and a raw, passionate texture that emphasizes a Buckner/Jim Morrison growl makes his performance all the better. Not only does he have natural talent, but he's able to translate the emotional element to his advantage.”
---Indie-Music.Com | Heidi Drockelman


“Mark Sinnis' deep rich voice, his warmly melodic compositions and arrestingly poetic, ghostly tales make great rock music, enhanced by his venturing into Goth and nostalgic Americana. It's something of a mystery how such appealing music like this escapes national media attention, but I guess that's just how the indie music business goes.”
---The Aquarian | Doktor.John


“The quavering vocals are wonderfully clear, kept on a fairly even keel and then able to launch upwards in urgency for extra feeling.”
---Mick Mercer’s Live Journal | Mick Mercer
- Assorted Quotes