Back at the end of January, Marmozets released their sophomore album Knowing What You Know Now. Somehow, I missed out on their debut release The Weird and Wonderful Marmozets from 2014 so had no real expectations of what was to come but after my first listen I was hooked and knew there and then it would be my next Album of the Week.

Unfortunately, since then, my heels have well and truly dragged and finding time to do a write up of the album has been difficult. However, there is some merit to this procrastination as it means I’ve had a chance to better digest Knowing What You Know Now, had the opportunity to go back and listen to their debut record and also been lucky enough to see them live at the Liquid Rooms in Edinburgh. As such, what follows is a combined Album of the Week and Live Review. Lets get on with it.

Album of the Week: Knowing What You Know Now

Album opener Play comes storming out of the gates with the shout of “1,2,3 PLAY!”. This is a song that wants to get you moving and get you moving it does with pounding drums, searing, bending guitar licks and crunching riffs. I love the way the song builds up layers throughout the verse and chorus before punching you in the face with a really chunky riff which I could listen to for days on end. Throughout we hear dynamic and varied vocals from lead singer Becca Macintyre which serves as an excellent introduction into what her voice has to offer.

Play is followed up by Habits which opens up with a killer riff (instantly reminding me of Songs for the Deaf era Queens of the Stone Age in the best possible way) over a stomp, clap drum loop. What a great intro this is. We get some slow almost spoken word vocals over this before everything cuts out and Becca’s vocals soar and soar to to a crescendo where the music kicks back in with its “Get carried away” chorus. Habits really showcases the power of the lead singer’s voice which is something that continues to impress throughout the album. The way she moves effortlessly from loud and soaring to soft and quiet (and sometimes almost childlike) is impressive and infectious.

Next up is Meant to Be opening with driving drums before launching into a Gay-Bar-esque opening riff, by which I mean the Electric Six song. The comparison ends there though as that riff somehow gets heavier and couples with screeching guitar licks before the dialing back slightly for the vocals in the verse. There is a huge surge moving into the chorus with Becca howling like a banshee that’s stood on a lego brick. On this song we also get some of the most powerful screaming I’ve heard on any record. Essential listening.

Major System Error continues the assault on the senses with heavy riffage, crashing drums, screeching vocals and a thundering rhythmic pace. On all of these songs there are so many little musical subtleties that can be heard throughout and Major System Error is a great example of this. The musicianship is tight, pacey, dynamic and an absolute joy to listen to.

Phew! Whilst each of the preceeding songs has had its peaks and troughs, for the most part the pace has been relentless. Insomnia is the first to take the tempo down a few notches and manages to sound soft and dreamlike yet still maintain some heavier jagged edges. This is where the vocals sound the most childlike and I can’t help but make the comparison to Bjork. The soaring vocals are also back and in a huge way. It’s an incredibly powerful performance so just close your eyes and let yourself be swept away by the surging, crashing waves.

Post Insomnia, we find ourselves washed up on the shores of Lost in Translation being given the kiss of life for the second half of the album. Some of my favourite lyrics of the record are found on this track: “I’m lost in translation, I need my mates in. It’s horrific, it’s making me sick, it’s making me…a freak of creation”. The hooks in the melody are incredibly catchy so do yourself a favour and listen to Lost in Translation right now.

The next track, Start Again is slower paced than most of the other tracks on the album but lacks none of the complexity, density and heaviness found elsewhere. This is probably one of the least essential tracks for me but like all of the songs it still has some real standout vocal and instrumental performances.

Like a Battery is quite a bouncy, almost poppy number and is the most different from anything else heard on the album. We get a more dual vocal performance as the backing vocals are pulled up front and centre and there’s also some piano added in for good measure. I like that Marmozets aren’t afraid to change things up and experiment throughout this album.

New Religion is much more akin to other tracks than Like a Battery before it. Again it’s a real storming track but for me one of the ones I’m less likely to return to. Usually I find myself listening to this album as a whole rather than in parts so that’s not really an issue as New Religion forms part of the overall experience.

The most stripped back song on the album is Me & You. For the most part it’s just clean electric guitar and vocals. It’s slow and pondering but at the same time mesmerising due to “that” voice. It’s very different from the rest of the album but helps break up the pacing and keep things interesting.

On the penultimate track we get one of the best songs on the whole album in Suffocation. It has absolutely everything we’ve come to expect from Marmozets, done to perfection. Tight, technical musicianship, unique vocals, soft sections, brutally heavy riffs, hooks to die for (the “I feel suffocated, treasure, poison, it’s not that bad” section was one the biggest ear-worms from the entire album).

Finally we’ve reached the end and I’m exhausted but what a ride it’s been. Good job, album closer Run with the Rhythm eases us in gently because it just builds and builds and builds pulling you in with that endlessly repeatable “run with the rhythm, run with the freedom, run with everything” chorus. Of all the songs on this album this is the one that deserves to be absolutely massive and I really hope it finds the audience and gains the momentum it so genuinely deserves.

All in all I think Knowing What You Know Now is a brilliant listen from start to finish. I feel like I’ve gushed over the vocal performance of Becca Macintyre and whilst it truly is standout that should take nothing away from the rest of the band: Jack Bottomley (lead guitar), Sam Macintyre (rhythm guitar and backing vocals), Will Bottomley (bass and backing vocals) and Josh Macintyre (drums). They are extremely tight, technically excellent, highly inventive and the performance of their lead signer would be significantly reduced without them.

Looking Back: The Weird and Wonderful Marmozets

So how does the new album compare to the debut? Well unsurprisingly the earlier record is rawer and not quite as tight (yet still very accomplished) but it’s also heavier and more aggressive (I mean just listen to Vibetech, there’s nothing as heavy as that on KWYKN). Becca’s vocals are certainly more “metal” with the heavier, more aggressive moments and all out screams occurring much more frequently. Some purists might lament the loss of that aspect but changing up and developing the vocals has kept things fresh whilst still managing to maintain the elements that make them so special. Due to its heavier nature I’d suggest The Weird and Wonderful Marmozets would be a less accessible record for many and hopefully the new album will allow Marmozets to expand their audience. Stand-out tracks for me are Born Young and Free (perfect album opener), Why Do You Hate Me? (raw, energetic and brutal), Captivate You (THAT chorus), Is It Horrible? (“ha-ha-ha-ha-ha”), Particle (also THAT chorus), Vibetech (uncompromisingly heavy), Love You Good (Arctic Monkeys pummelled with a sledgehammer), Hit the Wave (epic soaring track) and Move,Shake,Hide (so aggressive “I’m alive, I’m alive, I’m alive, yeah”). Oh, that’s most of the album you say? Enough said.

Live Review: Marmozets at The Liquid Rooms, Edinburgh (12/02/18)

Before we get to the main event I’d like to give a big shout out to Queen Zee who did a great job of warming the crowd up. They were brutally heavy, with some pretty epic screaming and riffage. If  you like that kind of thing, please check them out and give them some love.

So here we finally are; Marmozets live. There are a couple of big questions to be answered: does the powerful sound of the band translate well to a live forum and most importantly is THAT voice as impressive in person? The answer to both of those questions is a resounding YES (AND THEN SOME). Those pounding drums and driving, crushing guitar and bass tones sounded absolutely massive on the night which is in no small part down to the tech team (the light show was also excellent). I’ve been to plenty of gigs for technically good bands where the experience has been marred by the sound being an absolute mess. That said, you can have the best technicians in the world but if you can’t play what’s the point? Marmozets are a solid unit and every song they played sounded brilliant.

We were treated to a good mix of songs from both albums with all of my absolute favourites present and correct. Becca was on unbelievable form with her voice especially impressive on the likes of Insomnia, Run The Rhythm and Suffocation. I was already pretty smitten with her voice but after confirming that she could ACTUALLY SING LIKE THAT and experiencing it live I’m left feeling like a junkie wanting his next hit.

Throughout the night we had some brilliant moments such as the whole crowd singing along to the end of Captivate You (short video below) and Becca joining in on the fun when the crowd started shouting “here we fucking go” (as is normal practice in Scotland). Moments like this made the night really special and if you get the chance to see Marmozets live, make sure you don’t miss out.

Marmozets are currently touring the US of A and you can stream both their albums on all the usual platforms. If you like what you hear try and go see them for yourself and more importantly, buy their music!

www.marmozets.co.uk

www.queenzeeandthesasstones.com