Marlody I’m Not Sure At All + Bruised Gold New LP
Marlody Im Not Sure At All is the focus of this post.
Also reviewed is Luna Waves late 2022 album Bruised Gold. Luna Waves is from Bedford, UK. Also Marlody is a British artist that joins the Skepwax Records roster. I’m Not Sure At All is the album that Marlody releases this January of 2023.
These are two bright noteworthy artists to keep an eye and ear on. They both seem to want to address…
Uncertainty can be a scary thing. It takes courage and trust. That being said, I trust that Meatsheet Fanzine will get the support it needs.
Due to certain challenges and a project in the works.. I will have to scale back my content because it takes too long, too much energy.
On the other hand, the shares and views are not under appreciated nor unnoticed. With that, I give you Marlody and Luna Waves.
I am on the edge of my seat waiting for an opportunity to visit UK. But until then I will have to live vicariously through all the wonderful artists and record labels that have come my way. So check them out, support them. Let’s go !
Marlody – I’m Not Sure At All – Skepwax Records
Summer gently showers the listener with piano notes. Nimble fingering of the keys. Combined with tuneful vocal harmonies. The overdubs of these vocals on Summer and LP I’m Not Sure At All are something to be reckoned with. They are shimmering with beauty.
Undeniable, bittersweet sadness permeates this track. Please find the embed for the video and single below. Double exposure footage effectively tells a story of memories, loss, grief. Impressive.
Runaway is my go to song right now on I’m Not Sure At All. The tone of the keyboard is a soothing trickle of arpeggio that resonates through my physical form. Music is comprised of frequencies. Marlody tunes to a very specific frequency on this one. For me, it makes me want to weep tears of joy and pain simultaneously.
The vulnerability and uncertainty is thick as a den of thieves on Runaway
Next is Change. Simplicity in the sense that it sounds like artist with piano. Minimal backing tracks, if any. As result Change is intimate and stripped down to only what is necessary. Yet it still is fragrant and contains precisely the notes needed .
On the contrary, These Doubts saunters in giving you beats. Percussion and layered vocals.
Malevolence is a standout track. Shuffling piano, electro- claps and harder percussive beats. This is what Enya may sound like if she were to get hopped up on espresso. The tempo is upbeat and the vocals are charged and vivacious.
Conversely, there is a ominous undertone and a programmed coldness that plays against this upbeat human voice and composition. This is captivatingly off putting and makes Malevolence compelling. Dare I say cathartic ?
In conclusion, I’m Not Sure At All deals with dark and real themes that may haunt us all. It may be coming through the lens of Marlody but I assure you as survivor of trauma and grief, it is transcendent music.
It is NOT purely personal if you allow the music to be written and heard in your depths. If you think this is easy work I can assure you that facing your shadows (Carl Jung) is not. Even of you are a song writing genius.
Vulnerability , dealing with emotion that crosses all borders, beliefs, etc can be daunting.
Marlody lays it on the line with courage and honesty.
It is not from a place of forcing it either. It’s from a place of knowing and spirit. This LP is soft in nature but no less ‘killer’ than any I have heard in a long time. Please support Marlody and Skepwax records if you are so inclined here. https://marlody.bandcamp.com/
Luna Waves – Bruised Gold
Luna Waves is Bedford UK based multi-instrumentalist Rob Muir. Bruised Gold is Luna Wave’s album that released late last year. Here are a few inspirations that helped pave the sound of this band. Fans of Smashing Pumpkins, Pink Floyd, Tame Impala, Kurt Vile, Beach House, and more. On with a bit about a few of the tracks.
First is Talisman hammered on guitar notes that rest on a mellow ledge of vocals and bumping bass lines. Reminds me of 90’s indie rock before it is aware that is an emerging force.
Lemonade Slow Burn goes dreamy and so mellow it could be soft rock.
Umm , to be clear, I Iove specific soft rock. That is 70’s and 80’s soft rock depending on if you let me cherry pick the artists and songs.
Lemonade Slow Burn leans towards the favorable ones for me, (Dream Weaver with guitars and synth, and different sounding vocals, maybe? ) with increasing drone and delay/reverb on the guitars.
Third is Out Of Phase. It’s got a similar feel to the first two, with a chunkier attack on the drums and guitar. So one may say the rhythms are more obvious on Out Of Phase.
I’m not sure if I am on the money here or if I mentioned this last time I reviewed Luna Waves but the vocals have a quality that sounds somewhat like one of the singers in Alan Parsons Project. Sometimes. Rob’s voice is similar maybe a tad huskier with a touch more high end range. Go here to read a review of Blood Moon. https://meatsheetfanzine.com/new-powerful-heavenly-empire/
Street Hawkers stands out for the pitchy synth bends and tremolo effects.
My brain pictures neo urban DIY marketplace with Rob singing from a rooftop.
Not really into labels, but it’s my suspicion this would find its audience in the fans of chillwave, or “glo fi ” ha !. Whatever the youth are labeling Washed Out.. well it’s not a far cry from that. Labels are just labels. Hours go into work like this and the other artists I select.
Get Lazy turns up the relax dial again. Is Luna Waves spying on me or just making a commentary? Not doing is sometimes just as good as doing. Get Lazy seems to be about allowing yourself to kick back and put your feet up.
Next is Send A Wish On The Shore A blissed out flurry of notes perfect for a beach day. I can’t help but want to be romantic and have a makeout in the surf and sand.
” A feeling I can’t ignore. Send a wish on the shore. This is a moment I want to explore ”
Maybe it’s just me but this is a relatable group of lyrics , melody, and moods. Additionally as bonus there is romantic but overdriven guitar solo. This track is about taking your beloved or new love by the hand and just reveling in the wonder of the ocean and shorelines.
Ready To Survive could be dealing with uncertainty, do you see a theme? If not go up and read the intro and Marlody review. Welps this is Luna Waves take on dealing with some sort of obstacle that will lead to a metaphorical death and new beginning.
This is a hard concept for us all sometimes. Musically there is plenty to chew on. Melodious tremolo picked guitars, overdriven wistful and blissful tones. One doesn’t need to go into the lyrics, but I think its cooler if you did.
Once again, Nocturnal Teens deals with overcoming the faults that our generations before us fail to address. It’s synchronistic how music seems to be the healing vehicle for so many to make sense of trauma. Trauma cuts us off from our true selves. Music is but one way we reconnect to our true self.
So this track hits home for me. The music is just the messenger.
Sun Dappled Clouds closes out Bruised Gold. A yearning and blissful song. A fluid watery percussion drips in the background. On top of that some clean acoustic sounding guitars. Clean seamless composition. In fact Bruised Gold plays smooth throughout. You can surface listen to this album and relax to it. If you take the time to listen closely and read the lyrics.. it takes on a different dimension.
So there you have it. Reasons to listen to music that has power to heal. Cleverly disguised inside dense, rich, dream like and at times, dark sounds. As always thanks for reading and supporting indie press and artists.
