Marmalakes

Even Clothed

Released: November 15, 2011

Label: Self-released

By David Russell

On November 19, 2011, Austin-based folk trio, Marmalakes celebrated the release of their second EP, “Even Clothed”, at the Blue Theatre. “Even Clothed” is the 7 track follow up to the band’s first EP release, “Wonder Winds.” Whereas “Wonder Winds” stayed relatively within a folk range, exploring rich harmonies and melodies with the most bizarre and awesome lyrics, “Even Clothed” takes these ideas about one hundred miles further. Never before have I seen the boundaries of catchy pop/folk songs and experimental noise rock blended together so beautifully. The album comes in at just a little over 30 minutes, and every second of it captivates the listening experience, whether through the process of bobbing your head rapidly back and forth to songs so catchy that it makes you wonder “how is this not on the radio?”, or through the process of getting to close your eyes and be completely entranced by the symphony of random noises and harmonies that compliment the amazing melodies and unique chord changes that are present. Listening to “Even Clothed” is like taking your favorite folk tune and changing the lyrics to abstract fictionalized metaphorical concepts, and then rewriting and recording it after dropping acid. Marmalakes are able to hit such a wide range of sound and dynamics during the 30-minute life of “Even Clothed”, the album feels like it goes by in the flash of a shooting star. One listen will leave you ready to play it back again and again and again, to both enjoy the adventure that it takes you on, while trying to decipher everything Marmalakes do in that 30 minutes to make it such a magical experience. A moment in my life that I’ll never forget, is one night sitting in my car in a parking lot waiting for a torrential rain to calm down, while listening to “Even Clothed” for what must have been at least 2 cycles. The music combined with rain beating down and rolling off my windshield, was an experience like none other. “Even Clothed” will make the time that you spend listening to it a magical time.