The intriguing sounds of Marriage Material are back in force with their sophomore release Enchantment Under The Sea. The opening “1984” has an ethereal quality; its haunting melody draws you in. There is some wonderful acoustic guitar as the song draws to a close. As this band often does, they immediately switch gears into the quirky “Happy To Be Forced”, you get the vibes and guitar combination here, and it really works. This band seems to always find a way to be melodic whether they are rocking out, or getting atmospheric, you can always hang your hat on a clever and catchy melody. Leave it to this band to get heavy at a moment’s notice; the end of this song will kick your ass. It’s hard to point any obvious influences to me, but if you enjoy music that goes out on a limb and often defies categorization, this band is for you. When guitarist Arto Makela steps out, he’s a real treat, tasteful, forceful, and fiery. I honestly think he is capable of doing just about anything he wants, his contributions are always tasteful. His sensitive lead phrasing in “Mega Pint of Plum Spirit” is terrific. The other members of this four-piece are drummer Felix Lehrmann, bassist Tom Stieger, and the amazing Raphael Meinhart on vibes and marimba. “The Ring” is another track that really rips at the end. As wild as some of their compositions get, you also get music like “Silent Creek” which is atmospheric and quite beautiful with vibes and bass being featured. Cinematic comes to mind listening to this and other tracks on the album. “Calibraten” features some additional killer guitar from Makela.
If you are looking for something different, I suggest giving Marriage Material a try. These are excellent musicians creating inspired music that doesn’t follow any formula. They are capable of a variety of sounds and moods, and you definitely will be on a rollercoaster for the 42-minute ride!
Track List:
1. 1984
2. Happy To Be Forced
3. Mega Pint Of Plum Spirit
4. King of Melancholia
5. The Ring
6. Silent Creek
7. Calibraten
8. Second Try
9. Green Lagoon
10. Peoples
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