“When you release an album, you draw a line in the sand and say ‘this is us’. It’s a statement,” explain MARENE of their new album Rising After Midnight – and the line drawn in the sand this time around is one of exploration and change.
For their first full-length album the self-proclaimed flash-rockers decided to expand their sonic horizons, a choice that’s led to mixed results. It’s the pyro-ready, theatrical glam sound we’ve all come to know and love but there’s an under-current of vague discomfort.
Two songs where it really stands out to me are “Nightcrawler” and “Partners In Crime”. Compared to the whirlwind that is After Life (MARENE’s first EP) there’s what can only be described as a lack of absolute conviction to them. Sounds and words are exactly where they need to be but there’s an elephant in the airwaves: a question of identity raised by experimentation.
Which leads me to “Divide”, a foray into new territories that shrugs off a lot of flashy glam-embellishment to skulk and heave with intensity the likes of which I haven’t heard in MARENE’s work before.
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The verses hold on to the band’s roots before descending into a darker world where emotions are raw and chaos looms. The vocal flip from clean and innocent to furious and slightly demonic marks a sudden and jolting shift to a heavier sound that taps into something primal and smells vaguely of doom.
As an album Rising After Midnight is a very decent offering, but as a landmark on MARENE’s timeline it’s a turning point to a sound that’s more dynamic and exciting.
Feature pic supplied by artist
