Listening to Marshall Oakman’s latest single I was reminded of ballad rock legends like Eric Carmen and Elton John. At first, I thought that was weird, given that Oakman is a relatively obscure balladeer from New York. But then I paid some attention to all the nuances of the composition, the warmth of the melodies, and the soul that the singing is delivered with, then I started to think it was reasonable. Then I found out about who was performing alongside Oakman, and I figured that the fantastic quality was to be expected.
Based in New York, and with already two successful singles under his belt, Marshall Oakman is a singer and songwriter whose piano-based compositions carry a retro flavor with their percussive honky-tonky-ness and, on his latest single titled ‘When Life’s Cold’, serene warmth. Most notable on ‘When Life’s Cold’ is the intricate composition, bustling with unfamiliar chord moves, heartfelt yells, and a terrific piano performance from Oakman. The mix is saturated and sounds healthy, with a pounding drum part, simplistic and driving, a lush rhythm guitar part, and nicely calculated vocal harmonies, and along with the song’s encouraging, heartwarming lyrics, Marshall Oakman is here to present us a delectable meal of feel-good pop rock.
Featuring some of New York’s most revered session musicians, Oakman has teamed up with Kasim Sultan on Bass, Liberty Devitto on drums, and Paul Pesco on guitar, from Joan Jett, Billy Joel, and Madonna fame respectively. An illustrious team of musicians united under a wholesome vision by one terrific songwriter, ‘When Life’s Cold’ is here to help you make your life warm.
