The songs Gary Marks wrote in 2010 still resonate in ways that albums fifteen years old rarely do. There are no production tricks, no songs tied to the latest trend. Instead, the record has become another Marks rock classic—powerful and confident, catchy and lyrically rich.
Whether by instinct, luck, or craft, Marks seemed to anticipate where sophisticated classic rock would be headed over a decade later. The melodies are unmistakably his sound. The lyrics are introspective without becoming sappy: “Can’t we forgive and forget? I haven’t found a better way to save us from ourselves…” (from Forget to Remember).
And the grooved tracks never lose emotional ground: “Walk away from memories if they don’t build bridges to where you want to be…” (from Turn).
Marks played most of the instruments himself on the majority of the tracks and sang lead vocals and most of the harmonies. There is no sense of a singer reaching for effect. His voice is strong and rangy, but always serving the song—never the other way around.
As with much of his work from the 1980s onward, From Here arrived quietly. Marks did not pursue distribution and did not promote it. He placed the album on his website and returned to writing, as he always has—treating his music less as a career than as a private, long-form practice, with songs written to last.
But time has a way of finding work created outside the spotlight. Current world events have led Marks to reconsider his preferred musical isolation. Touring still remains off the table, but broader distribution—possibly through a forthcoming compilation—no longer seems remote.
We are hearing whispers about an announcement in early February, just a few weeks away.
But From Here can be heard now.