Gentle pop
Singer-songwriter Marvin B. Naylor has a very DIY approach to his new album, as the album insert proclaims "All voices, 12-string guitars and other instruments by Marvin" he is also responsible for production and writes all the tracks. He must be a busy man, however, this lack of other input does mean that there isn't a great deal of variation on the record, the tunes and instrumentation do start to feel quite familiar by its close.
The Stargazer's Symphonium feels like a record from an age past, apart from a slight psychedelic feel on occasion and the odd Beach Boys style harmony popping up Marvin's acoustic guitar is a constant friend and he presides over proceedings like an old school crooner. It's easy to feel like you've slipped into a 60s/70s dreamland where performers sat on stools, one foot on the crossbar and nodded earnestly at the camera as they sang on Top of the Pops.
Marvin's style is quite charming, gentle melodies, some great acoustic guitar work and sweet lyrics; it does sometimes feel like a low budget production though, the keyboard sound grates a bit and there are a couple of odd samples (canned laughter on A Flash! Within A Moment) which bring on a cringe, because of this the more stripped back tunes work better; Blue By You is one of the stand outs.
Taken a track at a time this album is warm and poppy with a touch of psych interest and a sound steeped in the 60s and 70s but as a whole, listened in one sitting its charms begin to fade toward the end.