musicreview

Marmalade Goes “Sober”

Indie Rock

Indie darlings Marmalade brought the magic to our Monday night with a listening party for their debut EP ‘Sober’. A cosy crew of friends and contributors munched on focaccia and cookies made by Jemilah. The ethos of the evening was to celebrate the moments before rat-racing on to the “next big thing”, and in the whirlwind of industry burnout this is a sentiment I hold close. With home brewed strawberry kombucha in my left hand, and a stunning lyric sleeve (featuring the photography stylings of Flora Driessen) in my right, I settled into the couch for my first listening experience of ‘Sober’. 

It begins with the surfy wash of “Bright” – a track pondering on the elusiveness of rockstar status. Marmalade have managed to capture the sound of nostalgia through their production – something in the wash of the sound brings me back to wondering about my future. The room claps for Liam’s guitar solo, and there are a few who can’t resist singing along to the chorus they’ve come to love through the release of ‘Bright’ as the debut single. Perhaps my favourite thing about the track, and Marmalade’s sound as a whole, is the contrast between the smooth sound of Jemilah’s voice and the gravel in Koen’s.

‘Awkward’ begins with a soundbite, which we’re told is taken from a real conversation that happened at MoveSpace. I’m not sure whether it’s the experience of listening for the first time with friends, but there is something social about Marmalade’s sound. The content in ‘Awkward’ is delightfully relatable for a city-slicker with memories of overcommitting. I’ve always loved this track live, but the production allows me to take in the joy of the arrangement. A highlight for me is the layered chorus at the end with group vocals, followed by an abrupt (perhaps awkward?) ending.

‘Houston’ drops a more serious layer onto the EP, as the band addresses the barrier stopping so many of us from reaching out when help is so clearly needed. There’s something moving about the line “somebody help me out” being yelled by a group of friends and flatmates at the end. I think it reminds us that everyone feels isolated sometimes; I can picture the band sitting in their respective rooms with the same need for connection. After listening to ‘Houston’ I made a mental note of who I’d like to reach out to this week.

You can’t beat the rhythm section in ‘Caffeine High’; it’s just so fun. Hearing Jemilah reflect on her time as a barista once again brought me back to my early 20s, and all the fleeting connections made over the top of a till. ‘Caffeine High’ is an ode to the third space. The lyrics are fun, the production swings between funky and dreamy, wrapping up with the signature Marmalade vocal layers. 

One mindblowing revelation for the evening was that Koen is not only a talented multi instrumentalist, songwriter and producer, but he is also a gifted bird impersonator. ‘Cigarette Habit’ begins with a highly convincing bird song, count in, and a generous instrumental section. Koen and Jemilah reflected on the length of the introduction – an anomaly to our tiktok trained ears – but I love it as a pensive end to this dreamy EP. It’s the perfect end to this 20-something experience of a collection. 

A special shout out to some of the friendly faces that I know stamped their mark on this EP in one way or another – the Auckland music scene is alive and vibrant. 

KiwisRetrospective – “Almost Natural”

Acoustic, Easy Listening, Folk, Singer Songwriter, Uncategorized

Almost natural is a hidden gem from 2021. I stumbled upon this album by accident, by being familiar with Jonathan Meyer from the multitude of bands he plays in (Underscore, the late Odds & Ends, Club Ruby, Max Earnshaw, and more, so many more). Jono is usually shredding an electric guitar or keeping the band in line with funky grooves from the bass, but with his solo project he takes a more gentle approach.

The journey begins with eerie guitar and soft saxophone with the intro track Warm. Soft BVs with crunchy harmonies ease us into what is a much more vulnerable and intimate piece of work than what Jono usually is involved in. The album touches on the usual subjects of love with “3AM” and “Foreign”. 3AM  features a 10/10 guitar pop pre chorus and some seriously tasteful guitar licks and a big echo chamber solo. Foreign takes a different approach with a very Jack-Johnson-like funky guitar groove. The lyrics are a clever spin on the trope of describing a girl as an angel fallen from heaven (i think) but much less cheesy.

Throughout these songs and much else of Jono’s work we get a strong influence from the 2000s alt rock era. Open stringed chords and octave riffs make this apparent. And this influence comes strongest with the acoustic ballad “Smile”. Smile could’ve been the acoustic hit single on any emo album from 2000. Though I’m not sure of the influence of this track the lyrics are poignant and really hit home the power of a positive outlook.

“Never made it home” is a personal favourite. It tells the tale of a young soldier who snuck onto a boat in the US to join the war effort in Europe in WW2. I’m not sure if this track was inspired by a grandfather figure or just a take on a not so unfamiliar story, but the tale is captivating none the less, and the chorus pops into my head every few months.

A common discussion point I hear from musicians is that the real beauty of art can come from the true authentic moments, the organic little mishaps that can happen and create someone with real human charm. People can strive to create this artificially in the studio, but I don’t think this really comes through unless you have a one take recording that doesn’t try to polish anything. “A song from my dad” combines the charm of getting your father in to help on a project with this kind of magic. It’s a beautiful piece of instrumental piano music that is simple, but effective, and adds a lovely point of distinction to the album as a whole.

“All I needed” is the finisher. The song is built on dreamy synths and lullaby guitars that could sit on an early Bon Iver cut. The lyrics could go either way representing love or a spiritual side of Jono not really delved into yet at this stage in the album. It’s a beautiful finisher either way.

Overall the album is a lovely piece of work. Very unique from the usual projects Jonathan is involved in. It’s a great showcase of his songwriting with interesting lyrical ideas, cliche free harmonic progression and very emotive singing. I’ll be keeping this album in regular rotation.

KiwisRetrospective – “The Tapes Etc”

bedroom pop, indie pop, Pop

I’m a sucker for sad boy music. When I need to indulge in my sad boy feelings and have overplayed Cavetown, Wells* is a good fill in.

Wells* is the moniker of producer/songwriter/keys for hire Josh Naley. If you’ve seen Robinson or Navvy on tour you may have noticed a friendly bowl cut bobbing on the ivories making tasty synth sounds. 

I first heard Wells* music through his Tapes series, an annual drop of a single with some supporting tracks which always had the steeziest artwork (credit to Matthew Twyman). These small bodies of work eventually were compiled with a few other tunes into the album “The Tapes Etc”. Each track brings you closer to the acceptance of a break up, with all the petty emotions along the way.

The album kicks off with “Back To You”, a massive sounding track with constant developing layers. The first chorus chord is very leading, like it’s asking the question in the lyrics which some nifty word painting. The song seems to be a gesture of good will to an ex, but mostly its a solid pop bop. Though it didn’t grab me at first, I’ve found over time this track has the most replayability in the album.

“Anytime soon” is a more low energy track about waiting for an impending break up. The lyrics in here are quite humanising and direct, I like the lyrics “you find it hard to work when you want to have a dinner party”. I vibe with that.

“Jealous” drops in with a very distinctive synth lead, and slowly builds with the percussion to a big heavy stomp clap groove. The lyrics are petty, but sometimes that’s how you feel. All the sounds and timbres in this song are really interesting, a stand out on that front.

The next tune “Night and Day” is a bop with a latin feel. This would go off in a club, all about being available for a rebound anytime, classic. I like the high pitched record scratch part way through, a lovely bit of ear candy.

I’m a sucker for implied tension in songs, where the bass is just held off for ages, and you know it’s coming, but the song holds off until the breaking point where it finally hits. “You’re never coming back” does this excellently with its distorted vocal bridge which drops into a massive chorus, well worth the journey. It’s also the first song which seems to address the grief of a break up which feels like a bit of maturing in the story of the album.

Wells* goes full Ken after this and pulls out a guitar for “Baby that’s you”. The acoustic start is a reprieve for the ears after heavy production so far and Josh get’s to showcase his ability to write distinctive vocal melody’s and interesting chord progressions in a classic singer songwriter style. Production elements are still toyed with with some autotune at the end of chorus lines. The synth solo at the end is a lil quirky.

“The Worst Optimist in the World” is my favourite track on the album, it’s just so raw. When I listen to it, I feel like I’m reading someone’s journal after they’ve just had the worst year. “It’s a bad day when I wake up” is a tough line. Wells* does a heartbreaking vocal performance on this and builds up into a groove by the end which lets you transition back into the fuller sound at the back half of the album.

I think I lied, “Depressed” is my favourite song on the album. At least it’s the one I’ve played the most. The guitar and bass are fat and the drum fills are big and it just makes you move. It’s a classic sad-lyrics-but-a-bop vibe with an underlying tone of optimism which feels like a response to “The worst optimist in the world”. “Depressed” was released with Wells* first music video (shout out Molawin Evangelista for the stellar direction here, the video is tight). Highly recommend.

“Therapy summer” kicks off with a chorus of Wells* singing. This builds with a heavy groove and beautiful shimmery synths through the chorus. This song just sounds beautiful, I think it’s the best production on the album. Molawin Evangelista directed another stunning video for this with Wells* performing in an empty theatre surrounded by a large screen, the visuals are as beautiful as the synths, the full whited out screens are particularly striking.

“Quitter” seems to have more of an element of acceptance to previous tracks talking about how “we both messed it up in our own way”. The track seems to have a comical view of a obsessive ex just not being a “quitter”. A fun take,

“The End” provides a solid coda saying “goodbye to my highschool sweetheart”. It’s a fitting end to the journey through the breakup and wraps things up nicely.

Wells* has been a bit quiet since the release of his debut album, and hopefully will be back soon. It will be interesting to see what new musical direction his music could take. In the meantime, I recommend “The Tapes Etc”

Never Coming Back – Underscore

Indie Rock, Uncategorized

After an enticing build up for their new single on Tik Tok, Underscore have finally released their sophomore single Never Coming back, and oh boy it slaps like a prima donna.


Unlike their first release Dirty Word, Never Coming Back hits hard and heavy with a lumbering blues groove that finishes on a crunchy chromatic descent. Front man Jonathan Meyer describes the track as a “bitter breakup song that draws on progressive rock influences”. Never Coming Back builds on this idea switching between sarcastic verses and emotionally charged choruses. A soulful solo leads into a fast paced bridge that carries the song into a final heavy iteration of the tracks iconic riff.

Underscore features Hon Manawangphiphat on bass guitar, Josh Johnston on drums, and Jonathan Meyer on guitar and vocals. The trio started playing music together as students at the University of Auckland, and have performed shows throughout Auckland ever since. While Jonathan is the principal songwriter and guitarist, the whole band brings together their backgrounds in pop, rock, metal, and jazz to create the one-of-a-kind sound Underscore is known for.

This track was a lot of fun to listen to, and we’re keen to see where Underscores following releases take them.

Make sure to follow them on Spotify, Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok.

The Nighthawk Experience EP.1 – Current Lies

Uncategorized

The Nighthawk Experience is a joint musical and animated project brought to life by musician Scott McDonald-Bull. The journey takes you into an anime art style world of a 17 yr old Nihilist, Kage who is trying to find meaning and purpose. Other characters are hinted at in his prologue and will be appearing in more detail in later episodes!

The track starts mellow with acoustic guitar and electric guitars wailing apathy. The lyrics speak of skepticism as the character Kage walks around the city viewing crowds of people on a morning commute before sunrise with the homeless already hard at work begging. As Kage sits to ponder at a park bench the sun rises, and with it the music swells into hard hitting cinematic rock reminiscent of The Devin Townsend Project with big and heavy chords and soaring vocals. The track ends with a foreboding keys and the distant ring of a church bell as a new character is teased for the next episode.

Episode 1 of the Nighthawk experience has us on the edge of our seat! It’s fantastic to see an artist collaborating with an animation team long term to commit to a multimedia collection of music like this. We can’t wait to see how this develops.

Make sure to watch the episodes below, and follow The Nighthawk Experience on Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, and Tumblr.

Liar – VÏKÆ

Pop

VÏKÆ is joining the ranks of new artists pulling the rising tide of introspection among younger audiences. With her latest single she self evaluates her own faults when it would be easier to push the blame on to the other. ‘Liar’ explores her struggle with bipolar and the toxic behaviours that come along with it, such as a tendency to lie.

VÏKÆ’s vocals strike similarities with Lana Del Rey evoking a sense of beautiful tragedy fitting for this song dealing with one’s own problematic behaviour. The beat developed by producer Mazbou Q (formerly Unchained XL) is reminiscent of the 90s, smooth and sultry with rich harmonies. The initially sparse track leaves time to soak in the rich soundscape that’s being crafted as it crescendos into a fat catchy chorus.

The single liar has been put to film in VÏKÆ’s music video you can find on Youtube. The video was shot in Melbourne and finishes with VÏKÆ dressed in Ukrainian traditional dress revealing her truest and most authentic identity.

VÏKÆ moved to New Zealand from Ukraine seeking refuge post Chernobyl. We hope she sticks around to keep pushing the New Zealand Music scene up to the next level.

Don’t miss her upcoming EP set for release in April, follow on her website, Facebook, Instagram and Youtube.

For more work from Mazbou Q follow on website, Facebook, and Instagram.

Kill Yourself- The Cold Year

Bastard Jazz

There’s something unnervingly real about the sophomore track on The Cold Year’s album Prey for Me. “Kill Yourself” is raw, edgy, and visceral. Initially it sounds like Chet Faker’s most distressing day, and quickly moves into something so much more epic and angsty. Shrouded in lyrical genius, each horrific sentiment crawls into your ears like a tarantula making its nest. The song opens with the line “swallowing nails and spitting out corkscrews”, and moves into “drinking pesticide like it’s cheap wine.” The poetry in The Cold Year’s lyrics spiked my morbid curiosity. I had to listen over and over again to figure out exactly what it was that it was making me feel.

The instrumentation is overwhelmingly dissonant. Whether deliberate or not, the way the drummer and guitarist refuse to fully lock in with one tempo only adds to the chaos of whatever broken singer Matthew Skaggs has endured. The song moves, though. Just as disturbed as the subject matter, it can’t sit still. From a smokey first section the piece moves into a few bars of circus music followed by an eardrum-shattering monster of a distorted guitar solo. What is it? Gypsy jazz? Hard rock? Psychedelic punk? Who cares!

The singer’s voice emerges from the apocalyptic rubble of the instrumental section for a deflated final chorus, finishing with an unnerving detuned guitar. It’s messy, but I think that’s the point. “Kill Yourself” is an absolute sonic experience. It’s only four minutes, but you’ve lived a life or two by the time it’s over. I’d hate to be whoever inspired this song.

You can stalk this “bastard jazz three piece” on Spotify, Facebook or instagram.