MARC FERREIRA – Working Overtime

Working Overtime is Marc Ferreira’s second solo album. He’s accompanied by his brother, Alex Ferreira, on drums and Dario Seixas on bass. Ferreira is perhaps best known for his work with Venturia, a progressive metal outfit from France. In addition, he’s played in Goodbye Thrill and Monkey Bite. Aside from handling the guitars and vocals, Ferreira considers himself to be a producer. Over the years, he seems to have kept himself thoroughly busy, hence the title Working Overtime. Ferreira’s sound is decidedly melodic-pop rock. For those that are looking for something heavy, there’s nothing here that’ll have your head banging.

Right from the very first spin, it becomes apparent that there are some serious production woes with this one. It’s not the mixing that sucks so much as it is the audibility of the vocals and guitars. There are instances where Ferreira sounds as though he’s being drowned out by his very own playing. The entire album is hindered because of this. As for lyrical content, the songs are pretty much what you’d expect to hear on your local Pop Rock station. Most tracks deal with relationships and can get a little sappy. Lines like, “the cookies in my jar reveal my appetite” aren’t exactly the epitome of toughness, but they do reveal the kind of audience Ferreira is trying to attract. The title track itself is heavily inspired by The Beatles. On more than one occasion during “Working Overtime,” you’ll hear the line, “all you need is love.” There are a few hard rockers on this one, especially towards the middle of this release. As things start to wind down, Ferreira gets a bit lighter and the album becomes a little more acoustic and soothing. Fans of softer, mid-tempo rock will appreciate this.

It would be interesting to see how this piece would have turned out with better production. Ferreira seems to have a decent grasp of what he’s doing, but good enough just doesn’t cut it. As suggested, he’s something of a workhorse and seems dedicated to the music he makes. Still, that doesn’t make this album impressive. The guitar playing won’t blow anyone away and the vocals come off sounding pretty weak. Working overtime can be great if you enjoy what you do and need a little extra cash. On the other hand, it can be a hindrance if it’s a requirement and your job blows. For Ferreira and most music fans, Working Overtime may be a no-no. Settling down and focusing all of his efforts on one band or project might be the best way to go for Marc Ferreira, as this release comes up extremely short of being amazing.