Album: Marni – Whiskey Girl

Sharing a bio from Spotify, because I am not sure if anyone reads it:

“MARNI comes from Marni Ct, a neighborhood cul-de-sac in Palm Springs, CA in which songwriter Nicolas Lara spent 4 years developing his shimmering sound. Fast forward and Lara is living in LA with a hefty catalog of solo work now polished with the help of a backing band. His latest is the intoxicating 7-song, Whiskey Girl, which features bright guitars, heavy rhythms, and vocals that echo into a surrounding whisper making you feel as if you’re in the very room it was recorded. With help from producer/friend Nick Noble, whom which performed drums on the project, W.G. is Lara’s most vulnerable project to date, yet it maintains the catchy desert sound now signature to him. It’s part emo and part folk, with a lot more genre-bending to unpack in each song. Lyrically, it’s a self-reflective tell-all. Lara notions that old habits die hard, and yet we must be able to forgive ourselves and grow from them. The leading single “Fragile” is as much a head-bopper as it is a heartbreaker. Here we’re reminded that independent songwriting still delivers. It’s just one example of new terrain for Lara, whereas “Manic” is a return to roots. Here we visualize him back on Marni Ct strumming a guitar with the blinds open just enough to shine a fleeting light on the strings. You’re there with him in the quietest part of the city. As he sings “this feels like home,” you feel just the same. The standout performances and replayability will make sure you don’t miss the next Marni gig.

These days I usually discover by listening to a single first and then later a full album. So usually I have to get into the first song, to try more. It was the same with the EP, but I am glad I got to the entire EP. I am enjoying this avant-garde bedroom pop or whatever you would prefer to call it. Guitars heavily drive songs accompanied by dreamier vocals and in some parts shoegaze or folky vibes. I have been enjoying the EP from the beginning to the end. Each song has its own atmosphere and you can find the one that suits you the best.

You can find more music on Bandcamp.