Rockingham

“Oh, my mind. It races,” Charlie Mars croons on the title track of Blackberry Light, his gossamer voice straddling brawny self-revelation and bare self-doubt. And so it goes on much of Mars’ latest release, an album that chronicles the racing mind of an artist whose only agenda seems to be catharsis through songwriting. Notably sparser than previous work, Mars explores a novel sound throughout the album, with a percussive signature that separates him from the acoustic ranks. The mischievous drumbeats and claps of “Picture of an Island,” colorfully bring Mars’ daydream of romantic holiday to three-dimensional life. “I Do I Do” is quintessential folk, save for the ubiquitous snare hit that focuses the song at its center; it’s an album of self-reflection, with a heartbeat.