When I think of Bordertown, South Australia, a blend of acoustic soul and blues music doesn’t really come to mind. In saying that, this record by singer song-writer Jimmy Marin, ticks both boxes. Something True is full of rich melody and harmonies, and even if some of the material seems to be more suited to a Sunday night set at the pub around the corner, the bulk of this album shows signs of a matured sense of song-writing and arrangement, which deserves props on its own.

There’s some lovely Americana influences on the record, possibly best seen on “Talking to Myself” and “Spotlight”, the latter also showcasing Marin’s decent vocal range. Lyrically, there are some songs on Something True which come across as being quite run-of-the-mill. Like I mentioned before, there are some moments where I feel like the material would go down best as background music in your local (“Fly Away”, “2 People”); however, I know how popular the pub-rock scene still is, so I guess in some way, Marin ticks another box there.

“Long Way Back” and “The Truth” remain stand outs on the record for me, as they show Marin’s ability to dabble and switch from the softer, acoustic-dominant folk sound, to the catchy realms of bass-led blues rock. When your record bases itself largely on the soundscapes of American folk and chilled out blues, it can be hard to make your own impact shine through and be completely innovative. Marin shows on Something True that he knows his craft and his influences well and is on the right track in carving his own name and sound into this particular musical ether. For a debut record, Something True is a great effort; being Adelaide-based, I appreciate it when I see any local artist produce records that is clearly evident of a passionate and effort-filled process of song-writing and recording, considering the difficulty a lot of musicians can face down here in reaching that next level. It’s a good start for Marin, and I would like to see how this sound he’s got going develops.

Review Score: 7.0 out of 10