Row Boat: Romance (2014)

‘Romance’ was the first release from Row Boat back in 2009. It heralds the beginning of the ever changing sounds and structure of one man composer Mark Wardale to this day. Now, Fluttery Records have decided to re-release the E.P which is regarded by many fans as a real glimpse into the ambient and experimental world. Whereas now many people refer to Row Boat as a post-rock project, it all started out with glistening xylophones & violins, abundant textures and lots of horns. Romance is the ultimate accompaniment to Mark Wardale’s most recent album ‘In Between’, were we saw him reign in the heavier guitars and take a small step back into the Romantic side of music andcomposition

Row Boat: In between (2014)

Post-rock has become so varied and broad along the music spectrum that many people find it hard to explain these days. This would also explain Mark Wardale’s latest album release ‘in between’. A mix of numbing piano sounds, ambience, subduded eclectronica and ‘dirty’ strings produce the different shades that make up the light and dark of romance in note form. New sounds and feelings are evoked whilst a sense of familiarity lingers and comforts. 

‘In Between’ was an idea, an interpretation of romance, written in note form for listeners to relate to in a different and unexpected way. Love can have so many meanings, good, bad, confusing. This album was written to show not just the light side, but the darker and unexplored sides of romance. 

What makes the album so unique is the creavtive collaboration between musician ‘Mark Wardale’ and writer, reviewer and all round music lover ‘Daniela Patrizi’ on ‘in between’ to create the perfect artwork and imagery in reference to the music. 

The 40 minutes of music itself meets all listening expectations, from the strong and empowering piano’s and ambience of ‘Meet me at the Colosseum’ and ‘Later that day’, to the darker edgy and more reflective songs like “The dying art of romance” and “Hollow.”