Marq DeSouza

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"It's often easy to overlook the lyrical brilliance on anp album that rocks this hard. Imagine the perfectionist every-note-has-its-purpose melodies of vintage power pop such as Cheap Trick, sung with a Billy Corgan-esque voice with a brash Ramones-like attitude, and you may have somewhat of an idea what SOLARBABY sounds like. But you've got to hear it to believe it."


THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT

"Guitar-driven, raucous, and swaggering. Songs that range from lo-fi arena anthems and bluesy Stones-like rockers, to supercatchy power pop and straight out of the garage stompers. DeSouza gets a lot of attention for his lyrics, and rightfully so. The lyrics are humorous and smart, the songs are lean and immediate, and the arrangements are loud or quiet in all the right places."

EXCLAIM!

"A remarkable set of fully-formed pop songs." Melancholy soul-searching tunage. Several of which entail wondrous blasts of harmonica. Solarbaby's simple rock and endearing lyrics touched me with a wave of happiness. As always the lyrics grab the focus, but DeSouza does play a mean slide guitar that rivals Elmore James."

VELOCITY

"A debut of such proportions as THE POWER OF NEGATIVE PRAYER is made only by the sort of pop combo likely to be mentioned after a few more records in any who's who of indy. Densely packed, full of McCartney-esque bass melody, lush guitar and synth interplay, and infectious pop lyrics. A solid platter and as a debut, a sign of great things to come."

VANCOUVER COURIER

"Ever-popular local band SOLARBABY's strong songwriting and Dylan-esque lyrics give the crunchy-guitar trio an edge over the competition."

TERMINAL CITY

"Chocked with fine writing and rock ensemble playing in the tradition of the Stones/Faces/Replacements with a punky edge and Dylan soul. Tales of scorned love and lost souls are delivered by folky driven guitars. Chunky and satisfying with touches of harmonies, acoustic and harmonica."

VANCOUVER PROVINCE

"Full of beguiling tracks. Loaded with ideas. The pop hooks you'd expect and a few you wouldn't that sink in anyway."

VANCOUVER COURIER

"Gritty, intelligent rock songs Wilco & Bob Dylan fans will appreciate."

EARSHOT ON-LINE

"Damn, if it's not a solid collection of Rolling Stones and Lou Reed-inspired rock that still maintains indie-cred."

MUSIC WASTE '98

"Intelligent lyrics, cover art and song-smithery. SOLARBABY's THE POWER OF NEGATIVE PRAYER is among the best Canadian indy releases of 1998."

CHART MAGAZINE

"A spunky, tongue-in-cheek style, with cultural and historical references ranging from the fictional to the fabled. And that slightly skewered perception is starting to win people over."

THE ROCKET

"Iggy Pop meets John Lennon."

99.3 CFOX

"Sharply produced with Marq's unique 'snarl-twang' vocals and tight musical and lyrical writing. He sometimes sounds like the world's most pissed-off cowboy, but this will work in rock."

NOT LAME

"Any of you remember the first CD Not Lame put out almost 4 years ago. On SymPOPhony #1 was a band called the Finns who had this razor sharp Cheap Trick spirit combined w/snotty punk attitude as the singer would sorta spit out the words w/a sly smile. Very much like Too Much Joy's most classic material, only this band is much more consistent in the quality department. Also, this Canadian band evokes not only that spirit, but the 19 songs diversely display post-Replacements, Beat Farmers soaring rock w/a sense of the need for a solid melodic base at all points."

THE LOOP

"The kind of amped-up roots rock favoured by the likes of Earle, Wilco, and Lone Justice. The disc's urban-hillbilly twang goes down doubly well with a few shots of grain alcohol, but sobriety is no impediment to enjoying Solarbaby's charms. Guitarist/singer Marq DeSouza writes some pretty sharp lyrics and delivers them with a backwoods drawl. A collection of songs that sound like old friends the second time you play them."

DISCORDER

"Solarbaby frontman, Marq DeSouza, has a penchant for writing hurtin' tunes. So it seems absolutely appropriate that his trio's second album takes a turn at the sign marked "heartache" and marches willfully towards personal oblivion. Gone from this album is Marq's razor-sharp lyrical wit and humorous wordplay. That sort of stuff is now the sole territory of his solo pursuits. Instead, this Solarbaby album is full of epics about alcoholism, broken hearts, malice, defiance, and injustice. These snapshots of the band's new world are bleak, and yet they are stark and tragic images that stick in your mind long after the CD has finished playing. In a nutshell: think Steve Earle with the needle still in his arm."

SPLENDID E-ZINE

"Singer Marq DeSouza has the sort of hardy, rough-edged voice that goes down like milk and orange juice; comparisons to The Smashing Pumpkins and Aerosmith are inevitable. Yet despite their arena rock, let's-take-advantage-of-the-minor-sixth style, Solarbaby definitely stand out from other major label bands who match that description. This is due to their messy-room guitar-rock sound, which keeps them from coming across as overly polished. This style is hinted at in the packaging, but needs to be heard to be understood. And like a dirty room, Solarbaby's view of life is at times gloomy, but by avoiding the beaten path, they never become sluggishly slow and self-indulgent. Rather, the tempo is always up and on the go, as DeSouza always has something to say. The disc's final track is mostly acoustic, and in the spirit of Bob Dylan's "Sad Eyed Lady", clocks in at ten and a half minutes. The much-repeated line "Keep your gun powder dry" doesn't offer a dreary thesis on life -- if anything, it sounds like the words of a motivational speaker.

VANCOUVERINDIE MAGAZINE

"The progression of sounds throughout this album is familiar. Like working your way down a bottle of Jack Daniels, the guts of this album are tied together with a painful kick as they descend from upbeat tracks like "Born Again Then Buried Alive" through to the bitter "Keep Your Gunpowder Dry". "Personal Questions" was the track that left the biggest impression with me. With lines like "Sits so bitter in my stomach/Lies like poison on my tongue", the song speaks loud and clear to a society that demands nothing less than full emotional disclosure. On the same disc, the critically acclaimed "Keep Your Gunpowder Dry" is a creepy anthem for gun-toting white trash who are perpetually down on their luck, long for the comfort of the 1950s and respond to life's challenges with a hail of gunfire."

FREIGHT TRAIN BOOGIE MAGAZINE

"When listening to an album this roots-rock rowdy I have to ask myself one question: why do some of the best sounding so-called Americana bands come from Canada? Not just known for Blue Rodeo anymore, Canada's kicking some major ass on the Americana scene, especially when bands this good can surface seemingly out of nowhere. Solarbaby manages to put out some rowdy country rock without compromising their often clever songwriting. The band has a goofy side as well, as the song "Benzedream" (great title) can attest, but what you got here is some great stuff to drive your blues away! A pure joy. Get this if you like your country music with a little balls, some distortion and a hell of a lot of attitude."

R&R CIRCUS

"Killer! The record blew my mind. Echoes of Bolan, Bowie, Mott the Hoople, "Blonde on Blonde" and "Let it Bleed". Pure rock'n'roll fantasy."

AMERICANA UK MAGAZINE

"Instantly likeable. A bit of folk here, a bit of boogie there, and a very distinctive vocal performance throughout. Another talented songwriter from Vancouver. He drawls rather than sings, but although this could annoy, it entertains and draws you in, especially on the piano based Here’s a Song for You, sounding like a mad cross between Jagger and Richards and a bit under the influence. There is little doubt that Marq DeSouza would be a fine live performer. He succeeds best on the off kilter ballads and the more complex arrangements. Definitely one to keep an eye on."

INDIEVILLE MAGAZINE

It's obvious that Solarbaby's live presence must be completely outstanding. Coupling outrageous rock vibrancy with catchy melodies and a fantastic, sun-drenched guitar sound, the songs take the cake in terms of both atmosphere and melody. An astoundingly rockin' album.
- Various