Album Review: Marcus King - El Dorado

Marcus King’s debut solo album, El Dorado, brings a classic genre to life in all the right ways.

The release is slow and chill compared to The Marcus King Band’s more upbeat tracks. Opening with a wistful ballad about being 17, it’s clear that El Dorado is more a collection of intimate blues ballads than anything else. But that’s not to say the southern-rock bangers we’ve come to love from King are left behind; tracks like The Well and Say You Will create lively intervals throughout the album.

El Dorado is not unnecessarily complicated: all the tracks are clean, simple and polished. King doesn’t take any risks with his music and stays well within the confines of the genre, but still manages to stand out as a unique and talented artist. King’s skilled guitar work combined with his ability to elicit strong emotions from his music really make this album shine.