Part Television, part Velvet Underground, with a good dash of Pavement, a smidgen of The B-52s and just a whiff of Sonic Youth, the new record from Brooklyn’s The Marvelle Oaks – who are made up of husband and wife duo Alex & Tess Demir, along with drummer Tom Marsh – is a smorgasbord of rock styles and sensibilities.
Opening with It’s Tomorrow – which reminds us of the Strokes, who were, of course, heavily inspired by the aforementioned Television, it starts with a bang. With a laconical vocal approach that brings to mind Lou Reed and/or Thurston Moore. It’s not all retro-leaning, though; there’s also a glimmer of more modern acts like Bloc Party and The Wave Pictures here, and the backing vocals courtesy of Tess add another glorious dimension. The balance they’ve struck works really well.
This is followed by Shiny Things, which reminds us, as it starts, a little bit of the Guitar Hero classic Slow Ride by Foghat. The overall spirit of the song is a spunky, slacker vibe – which feels somewhat like a contradiction in terms – but it works. It’s catchy, pithy and full of personality. There are beautiful falsetto backing vocals, pared-back percussion, happy-go-lucky hand claps, snappy lyrics and cutting lead lines towards the end of the track (Albert Hammond Jr, is that you?) – all in all, a great combination.
Oh My Days sees Tess take the lead on vocal duties, and the instrumentation takes a distinct change of pace. Coming across like a combination of The Cure and Death Cab for Cutie at their most pensive and measured, the tune is meditative and progressive. Towards the midway point, Alex’s guitar takes centre stage but not in a way that feels bombastic or overblown. Again, restraint is the order of the day here. It’s tasteful and subtle but eminently likeable, and you don’t feel like you need more from the song. You come away feeling sated, as opposed to longing for more, which is a sign that they got their portion size just right.
Flying Dream starts with a mid-career Black Keys-esque riff and beat (think of a less polished El Camino sound) and – on the basis of the music alone – is instantly memorable and catchy. Lyrically, a lot of lies are repeated – in some way or another – which again helps them burrow their way into your consciousness. It’s almost infectious. But in a good way. Throughout the track, there are some nice guitar breaks that deviate from the style of the rest of the song, which is a welcome variation in tone and texture – the contrast serving to make the song more interesting.
Up next is Photo Real, which has an almost post-punk vibe to it. We’re reminded of luminaries such as Joy Division, The Fall and Gang Of Four. There’s a snotty, punky spirit to the vocal delivery that we also can’t help but appreciate. The tonal variation in the guitar parts – like the subtle chimey guitar background part, the biting, gritty lead tone and the occasional trembly, space-filling strums – work really well together but also, crucially, extremely well in relation to the rest of the instruments. This is very well crafted and is clearly the work of a songwriter who really knows – and loves – music.
We reviewed the next song – La Plaza – before, so we won’t elaborate too much on it here again. It was our first exposure to the band, and the song sounds as fresh as it did when we were first introduced to it a few months ago. In keeping with the rest of the album, the balance of the individual events is still especially striking, as is the dynamism of the song overall.
Surprisingly, AC1 starts with the creeping sound of swelling cymbals, which is soon followed by what sounds like the first use of an acoustic guitar on the album. Staying true to the sound they’ve carved out thus far, though, the acoustic element is not the focal point – it’s merely an additional component that complements their tried and tested formula of slightly gritty, garage and post-punk-indebted, slacker indie rock. There are also some particularly notable, almost choral-sounding, backing vocals here – courtesy of Tess – and what sounds like some rather ghostly, almost Spaghetti Western-esque, whistling, which we didn’t expect at all.
All-Star Games blends the wonk of Pavement with the pop of Surfer Blood to make lo-fi wonk-pop garage indie that you can’t ignore. Lyrically, it’s one of the highlights of the album. Lines like “you’ve got a downtown walk, with an uptown address”, “I’ve heard riot acts / I’ve seen knives in backs”, “losers never lose, coz losers never try” and “most people walk, but you sashay” particularly stand out, but the whole thing is thoroughly enjoyable. The backing vocals on this one remind us of Mustang by The Libertines, a band that lives permanently at the forefront of our minds.
Ansonia, Down In The Valley brings back the almost funky Black Keys vibe that we heard earlier on Flying Dream. It is also worth mentioning that it also keeps the lyrical pearls that peppered the previous song going (“I like escapades, I like masquerades and all the phases of the moon” and “strobe light sunlight beaming through the trees”) – are a couple of examples. It grows organically and satisfyingly – starting quite reservedly before becoming much bolder in the chorus, and by the time the song ends, it feels much more assured and impactful.
The title track is up next and, as the title suggests, it’s full of full-on fuzz. It’s part T-Rex, a bit White Stripes, a tad Little Barrie and very, very good. Probably the catchiest moment of an album full of memorable, lovable melodies, it is a shining jewel in the Marvelle Oaks’ crown. Ty Segal would be proud of the garage rock vibes. It’s followed immediately by a “Reprise” version, which adds atmospheric soundscapey aspects to the mix. This self-referential choice feels like a fitting end to this excellent single-minded album that does what it wants, entirely on its own terms, exceptionally well.
Written by Kinda Grizzly
