Dave Marsh is a gifted songwriter and his fixation on edgy pop rock has yielded the best record from Halifax’s over-30 set in years. Sitting behind the Super Friendz and the Joel Plaskett Emergency as a solidly inventive drummer, Marsh is more than an unsung sideman and, on rare occasions, his distinctive compositions have snuck onto records by these aforementioned bands. The True Love Rules is Marsh’s first opportunity to stretch out and explore a crossroads that finds punk, glam rock, new wave and folk colliding beautifully. He invites past and present collaborators to help his shape infectious compositions, many of which celebrate Halifax. The big rock of “Backstreets Thread” is a fun roll call for local cronies, while traces of ’70s era Bowie are all over “Darling You, Nothing Else Matters” and “Move You Around.” There’s a cool kind of passion on The True Love Rules, a thoughtfully layered bit of cocky rock’n’roll by Dave Marsh. (New Scotland)

-By Vish Khanna / Exclaim Magazine

After having spent many years behind the drum kit anchoring fellow Halifax artists like The Superfriendz and Joel Plaskett, Dave Marsh enlists many of those very people to make musical contributions to The True Love Rules, his first solo record.

As expected, Marsh draws from his musical history on much of the record, including the trio of opening tracks (Backstreets Thread, The Way We Live Today and True Love Rules) which could very well compliment some of his peers' best works. The same pop quirkiness which Joel Plaskett brings to his own tunes is found on many of these tracks, which isn't a negative thing by any means. With Plaskett assuming production duties for this record, he only seems to fuel the simplicity which seems to be the common theme running throughout each song on The True Love Rules. It's a trait that suits Marsh's music and the record as a whole extremely well.

-By Ken Kelley

Anxiously awaiting Joel Plaskett's follow up to the EMCA record-setting Ashtray Rocks? Don't forget it's a band, the Joel Plaskett Emergency, not just Joel. While the group wasn't conquering Canada, the U.S. and Australia last year, Joel took time to help timekeeper Dave Marsh produce his first solo disc The True Love Rules (Fontana North).

While the Joel Plaskett Emergency continues to ride the wave of ‘Ashtray Rock,’ drummer Dave Marsh, centre, released his first solo disc, ‘The True Love Rules.’ It's also the first release on Plaskett's own label, New Scotland Records. As evidenced by his work with P.E.I.'s Two Hours Traffic, Plaskett knows how to produce great-sounding pop. With Marsh, though, he's not guiding a youngster. Dave's been at this for two decades, through The Superfriendz and the Emergency, and his alternative rock roots are the same as Plaskett's. So Joel's role here is more co-conspirator than mentor.

You do get fully formed pop gems that would fit well on any Emergency disc, including Backstreets Thread and True Love Rules. But Marsh is also keen on experimenting, so there's the fascinating Move You Around, which features surf guitar and Eddie Cochran rockabilly, as it would have sounded on David Bowie's Low album. Nav Com Tav is a sailor chant-meets-Disney Halloween number. The whole middle section of the disc is made up of short, quirky song ideas, each as enjoyable as the next, little chocolate miniatures that give you full flavour but not too much sugar.

Marsh doesn't have the strongest voice, but he's in tune and stays within his range, letting all the fine melodies shine. While there are plenty of pal guests here, including Plaskett and other Emergency and Superfriendz colleagues, Marsh has handled almost everything himself, including guitar, piano and mandolin. This makes up for the money I blew 30 years ago on Who drummer Keith Moon's solo album Two Sides Of The Moon.

It's very fitting that the first release of Joel Plaskett's new label, New Scotland Records, is a musical journey that pays homage to the greats that have influenced us for decades. Joel received critical acclaim for his voyage back to high school and the tales of two friends starting a band and now it seems Emergency drummer and solo artist, Dave Marsh is happy to reminisce as well.

But unlike Joel, Dave isn't looking back on those formative, awkward, angst filled years (although Backstreets Thread and The Way We Live Today definitely hit on the same era, just without the smiles) through narratives. Instead he plays with the sounds of the musical greats like Bowie, Strummer, Iggy, Bell/Chilton, Davies. It's easy to see the influence they have on Marsh's song writing, but with the flourishes from modern peers like Joel Plaskett, Peter Elkas, and Matt Murphy, the mix of old and new helps Marsh's work evolve into much more than another dusty rehash.

They say you have a lifetime to write your first record and Marsh, who has been playing rock n roll for over two decades, uses his debut as a melting pot for the styles and inspirations he's picked up on his wild ride. Whether it's a Bowie-esque melody and delivery on Forsaken By The Beautiful People or the cocksure swagger of The Way We Live Today you can't help but picture Marsh on stage wearing a huge smile. Consequently, True Love Rules is a perfect retrospective for so many music geeks. Ten years ago, would I have focused on the delicate AM radio undertones on the beautiful I Know Nothing Anymore? Without question the answer is no, but the subtle sunshine grabs my ear as much as the infectious bounce of Darling You, Nothing Else Matters.

Over the course of the fourteen songs, Marsh lets his lover know that "nothing else matters" and admits that no matter what anyone else thinks,"true love rules." I know he says both in a romantic context, but Marsh could easily be talking about his relationship with music. Being a full time touring artist is a lot of blood, sweat and tears, and often means watching the odometer turn on long drives after tiny club shows in no name towns.

The thing that keeps you going is the music and the need to create and after spinning Marsh's new record, his love of music can never be questioned. There are no fake messages or trendy effects or layers, and Marsh's sincerity that shines through. As a result, The True Love Rules is a collection of songs that are fun, deep, diverse and seem like they've been always been a crucial part of who you are.