Interview & Album Review - Can I Tell You Something? by Mark Lettieri
The Snarky Puppy guitarist's latest solo record is a triumph
Grammy-winning guitarist Mark Lettieri’s latest album Can I Tell You Something? was released via GroundUP Music last month. I’m honoured to have been able to sit down with the guitarist recently to dive into his writing process, the background behind the album, and break it down track by track. Stream it now wherever you get your music and order CDs for a limited time here!
Contrary to his last LP, Deep: The Baritone Sessions Vol. 2, which was recorded with different musicians and collaborators on each track, Lettieri enlisted his touring quartet of bassist Wes Stephenson, drummer Jason “JT” Thomas, and keyboardist Daniel Porter for the bulk of the record – outside of an appearance by Snarky Puppy bandmates violinist Zach Brock and keyboardist Bobby Sparks. Additionally, he bucked his usual trend of writing songs closer to the recording time and utilized older demos and scheduled himself a block of writing time in 2023.
“I almost treat every record like it’s my first record,” Lettieri says of his stylistic choices, consciously choosing some baritone funk songs for release as well as tracks that showcase different sides of his musicianship. His goal is to give as wide-ranging of a listening experience as possible to those hearing him for the first time. The title Can I Tell You Something? comes from this thought process – “I was sort of thinking how people know me as a groove guy, and I get that. I accept it and I’m proud of it, but I like to write and tell melodies too. So, in a sense it’s like ‘hey, I’m going to tell you a lot of things with this record and a lot of it’s going to be melodic.’” Lettieri especially challenged himself to write strong melodies and hooks instead of sticking to his groove comfort zone, which he knows he can always have in his back pocket.
As someone who primarily knows Lettieri from his work with Snarky Puppy, I was absolutely blown away by the wide range of styles exhibited across these ten tracks – making it my favourite solo work of his to date.
The album leads off with “Dragonfly,” a high-energy number that immediately shows off the tightness of the band. One part of Lettieri’s writing process is connecting a riff to a non-music related thing, in this case being nature documentaries and the movie Dune, both of which he had been watching around the time of the composition, evoking a dragonfly-like vibe in his mind. “I really wanted just an up-tempo guitar rocker – I felt like I hadn’t done that in a while,” Lettieri says, “it’s a way to be introspective, you know, while rocking out a bit. Rock out with a lot of chords.” JT’s thumping drum work syncs up perfectly with Lettieri’s (you heard that right!) synth work on this tune, making it a great lead for the record.
“Canyon Run” was originally from a gear demo video Lettieri did a while back – a shorter jam whose hook stuck in his mind. Described by the album’s engineer as “smooth jazz from hell,” Lettieri is especially into Porter’s use of an 80s funk vibe, making it one of his favourite grooves on the record.
“Black Iris” features Brock’s violin, an element Lettieri loves because of his playing having the “phrasing, timbre, and vibe of a violin but the energy of an electric guitar.” Stephenson’s bass is at the forefront early on of the mellow track, with Porter being uncharacteristically gentle on piano. Offering a nice breather after the high energy opening to the album, Lettieri shows off the flip side of his playing with some expressive acoustic work – the break from typical form makes this my favourite track on the album.
“Blankworld” pays homage to the eighties – specifically Jeff Beck guitar shop records – and is inspired by Lettieri’s daughter Izzy. Having drawn and created a picture about a world inhabited by the “raindrop people,” the track calls to mind a slightly futuristic soundtrack that would feel right at home as the music accompanying a wide shot of a landscape in a video game or movie. “It’s interesting hoe much creative output I’ve put toward social media,” says Lettieri of how “Blankworld” was born out of another gear demo. “A lot of that stuff at the time is just a throwaway post to keep the content flow and algorithm going, but a lot of it’s really good material that can be used wisely.”
The obligatory cover on the album, “Time After Time” continues the eighties homage with a twist – a uniquely anthemic outro with some incredible soaring work, a section that has become a live favourite for the band.
“Shimmy Tiger” is another track with family inspiration – the name of a dance created by Lettieri’s daughter when she was younger. The music itself comes from heavy influence via King Crimson and The Tubes, “geeking on 80s melodies,” as Lettieri describes it. “I wanted to write a guitar pop song, but of course I couldn’t keep it to three and a half minutes. There had to be extra things in there involved in the journey which I almost edited out to streamline the arrangement, but I just really felt that they needed to be said.” The longest track on the album at six and a half minutes, it carries that radio-pop vibe exceptionally well for its duration, the harmonized guitars and Porter’s subtle electric piano work are truly excellent.
“Saturday Stuff” comes from post-Deep: Vol. 2 baritone inspiration and has that unmistakeable Lettieri lower-register touch. Featuring Porter on a wildly distorted synth solo and amazing organ work from Sparks, you will be hard-pressed to avoid a stank face for its entire four-minute duration.
“Greenspace” begins with a groovy Stephenson intro, the rest of the band entering one by one before hopping into the song proper. Lettieri penned it about his backyard and its proximity to a small forest with a stream running through. He particularly loves the guitar tones on this one – recording all the tracks from his home studio gave him the freedom to try out all sorts of amps and pedals.
“Neural Net,” inspired by Terminator, has an easter egg to the famous movie franchise in the form of a quick keyboard line that references the movie’s main theme. Another dedicated baritone tune featuring Sparks on Moog, it has a distinct Parliament vibe and could easily be the soundtrack to a dystopian future movie. Lettieri once again loves to play this one live because of some of the unexpected twists and turns it takes, especially the bridge riff.
Closing out the album is “Gemstone,” a simple, clean funk tune that’s very tone-focused. “That one might have some Fearless Flyers influence to it, but more expanded instrument-wise,” notes Lettieri, “It’s probably one of the happier songs I’ve ever written – I don’t write in a major key very often.”