Marc Broussard: Momentary Setback (Ripley)
Marc Broussard was just playing his guitar and singing on a curbside in Louisiana. Little did he know that someone was definitely paying attention to him. It was a Ripley Records representative. Now, 20-year-old Marc Broussard has a record deal and songs that prove his worthiness.
Since the age of five, Broussard has been playing guitar with his father, Ted Broussard, a very skilled guitarist himself. When the record deal was offered, Broussard couldn't refuse his lifelong dream of writing and performing his own material for the masses. Of course, he wanted his inspirational father to play a part as well.
The result was an album entitled Momentary Setback, a project that combined all of Marc's musical varieties and vocal abilities.
Momentary Setback gets to the point right away. The first track entitled, "The Wanderer", is smooth and gives the feel of a movie soundtrack song from a happy-ending, but it's a good soundtrack. It is easily one of the best songs on the album and an excellent first song to show what Broussard's all about. The third track, "Blue Jeans," is jazzed up and makes any listener realize this guy has got a great voice, especially the ladies when he says, "Something about you moves me deep inside my soul, when I look into your eyes." Marc Broussard is very good at hitting all the notes, and isn't afraid to belt it out, which sounds amazing. "French Caf�," the fourth track on the disc, lets some piano enter the spotlight, and lets out the sound and emotion of a song like Marc Cohn's "Walking in Memphis."
There isn't a song on this album worth criticizing. If you enjoy anything that is easy-listening and light-hearted, this disc is for you. It combines soul, R&B, and pop rock to make itself worthy on store shelves next to any artist. This is a good disc to get for a girlfriend, so there's a gift idea for the guys to earn bonus points. Marc Broussard has got a promising future ahead of himself.
Broussard is currently touring as part of a five-man band, opening for O.A.R. He and his band will be playing in Milwaukee on March 24 at 8 p.m. at the Eagles Ballroom. Going to that show would be a smart thing to do. Also, Marc Broussard and his band will be in Green Bay the following night at the Riverside Ballroom opening for O.A.R again, so make note of that.
Judging by the way things are going right now, there doesn't seem to be any momentary setbacks for the young Marc Broussard.
Josh Hertzog/March 05, 2003
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's The Leader