In anticipation of his new album Man on the Ground, Mike Marlin has released his second single track This Town. Having heard the new album in its entirety (I'll make you wait for the review!) I am not convinced that This Town is as strong as some of the other tracks, although it's a lot more cheerful than others (that's all you'll get for an inside hint!). The press release to accompany the single release is as follows:-

Mike Marlin has ripped through 2011 being chosen as HMV ‘Next Big Thing’, releasing his debut album Nearly Man, touring the UK twice, singing disco with dwarves, smashing an office to pieces and vanishing for 3 months only to emerge triumphant with another 11 songs recorded in an undisclosed basement and mastered in Abbey Road.

Mike had 50 years to make his first record, and a reactionary quarter of a year to make the follow up album Man On The Ground. Working with a new producer Catherine Marks (known for her work with Alan Moulder & Flood on artists such as The Vaccines, Interpol, Foals and PJ Harvey) Marlin recorded as he wrote, with Catherine providing a new form of muse in her piano playing.

Single ‘This Town’ is one of the more rock’n’roll influenced tracks from the record and began life as a Wurlitzer jammed through a Memory Man guitar pedal that floods swooping, pulsing keys over the backbeat. Meanwhile Mike’s signature baritone vocals growl through the verses before lifting into a chorus reminiscent of Pulp mid festival set. It’s the result of a series of happy accidents that occurred in the studio and tells the familiar tale of a personal nemesis that everyone has experienced in their own way.

Mike has nationwide and European tours locked in for 2012 and is currently working on new songs in the studio in between shows to keep to his pledge of releasing a full length LP a year.

The video for This Town is below, although afterwards you may fancy checking out the updated review of The Magician, where you can now view the quite excellent sleight of hand magicians at work.