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Avg: 4.0 (4 ratings)
- Date Released: January 8, 2008
- Genre: Rock/Pop
- Label: Munich Records
Roots-rock quintet picks choruses over complexity.
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We Say...
Many bands fall into the trap of making albums that are complex instead of catchy, writing lyrics too clever to sing along with, and music that's more complicated than hummable. It's as if they're afraid to get caught enjoying themselves.
Marah is not that kind of band.
The band honed their chops by logging years on the road, not in the studio, and their music is accordingly loose and unmannered. When they're feeling adventurous, the quintet simply augments their gritty roots rock with unconventional instrumentation: a bagpipe turns up "Wilderness," a banjo on "Coughing Up Blood."
There are knowing echoes of Leonard Cohen in Dave Bielanko's lyrics, and the rough-edged energy of the Rolling Stones in the music, which suits the band's history of combining the earthy with the astute. Originally from Philadelphia and lately of Brooklyn, Marah has worked with both Bruce Springsteen and NPR's Sarah Vowell, so their literary credentials match their musical abilities. Themes of sin (mostly caused by fast living) and redemption are all over Angels, giving the record a unified feel without ever seeming forced or self-conscious. It's the music, not the band, that's the star of Angels of Destruction. Isn't that how it should be? -
They Say...
Ten years and six albums on from their debut (not counting live discs and seasonal offerings), Marah are a significantly more mature and ambitious band than the scrappy Philly roots rockers of their youth, but while 2008's Angels of Destruction! is a rich, audacious set of songs dressed up in adventurous production and broadly dynamic arrangements, it shows that they're a group that has learned how to have it both ways, still reveling in the swagger and street smarts of their earliest work. David Bielanko and Serge Bielanko's songs play out on a broader musical canvas these days -- check out the Russian accordion figures and no wave synth patterns on "Angels on a Passing Train," the horn-bolstered guitar boogie of "Wild West Love Song," and the loud, proud bagpipe coda on "Wilderness" -- and the band makes the most of the talents of its newest member, Christine Smith, whose keyboards and backing vocals give Marah's performances a new depth. But the folks who populate David and Serge's songs have thankfully changed little over the years, and David sings their stories with a passion and honesty that make them both vivid and thoroughly believable, from the cops celebrating on a rowdy New Year's Eve to a romantic interlude played out over beers in somebody's kitchen. Marah's music has been compared to Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and Van Morrison often enough that those allusions are all but clichés, but on Angels of Destruction! (as with all their best music) Marah don't sound as if they're copying any of those artists so much as they simply draw from the same well and have the same gift to make magic of their tales of life in the city, and their music, both nimble and muscular, is as impressive as their songcraft. Simply put, Marah are one of America's great rock bands, and Angels of Destruction! is an album that brims with joy, rage, and adventure, and deserves your attention.
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| 01. |  |
Coughing Up Blood |
4:20 |
|
| 02. | |
Old Time Tickin' Away |
2:38 |
|
| 03. | |
Angels On A Passing Train |
4:05 |
|
| 04. | |
Wild West Love Song |
3:24 |
|
| 05. | |
Blue But Cool |
4:21 |
|
| 06. | |
Jesus In The Temple |
3:49 |
|
| 07. | |
Santos de Madera |
4:00 |
|
| 08. | |
Songbirz |
3:06 |
|
| 09. | |
Angels Of Destruction |
3:16 |
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| 10. | |
Can't Take It With You |
4:07 |
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| 11. | |
Wilderness |
10:22 |
|
11 Total Tracks, 47:28 Total Length
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Playlists If you like Marah, check out these member playlists
Credits
- Jeff Clarke - Bagpipes // Scott Hull - Mastering // Christine Smith - Piano // Christine Smith - Piano // Christine Smith - Accordion // Christine Smith - Accordion // Christine Smith - Autoharp // Christine Smith - Autoharp // Christine Smith - Drums // Christine Smith - Drums // Christine Smith - Clavinet // Christine Smith - Clavinet // Christine Smith - Bells // Christine Smith - Bells // Christine Smith - Vox Organ // Christine Smith - Vox Organ // Christine Smith - Group Member // Christine Smith - Group Member // Hugh Pool - Engineer // Hugh Pool - Mixing // David Bielanko - Banjo // David Bielanko - Guitar // David Bielanko - Mixing // David Bielanko - Vox Organ // David Bielanko - Illustrations // David Bielanko - Group Member // Adam Garbinski - Guitar // Adam Garbinski - Group Member // Serge Bielanko - Guitar // Serge Bielanko - Harmonica // Serge Bielanko - Vox Organ // Serge Bielanko - Group Member // Jeff Bradshaw - Trombone // Matt Cappy - Trumpet // Franzz Hueber - Design // Doug DeHays - Clarinet // Doug DeHays - Saxophone // Hanna Toresson - Photography
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