Marcus King is only 27 years old but has already established himself as one of the finest guitar players of this generation. King reminds me a lot of some of my favorite guitarists from the 60’s and 70’s, like Duane Allman and Merle Haggard, guys who can rip with the best of them but also have a more sentimental side that comes out in delicately melodic guitar parts. On 2020’s El Dorado there’s more of the latter than the former, which is a nice addition to his guitar-focused stylings in his jam band project The Marcus King Band.
There’s a few reasons for that. Pairing up with Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys to produce and co-write many of the songs off El Dorado was a smart choice, and gives the album a clear focus in both themes and sound. There’s still a ton of guitar hero moments on the album that will delight (see: “The Well”, “Say You Will”), but the focus on putting songwriting center stage places King into a new echelon of singer-songwriters, a space that feels fresh and dynamic.
Standout Songs: “One Day She’s Here”, Young Man’s Dream”, The Well”, “Too Much Whiskey”
