Marrow Neck - EP Review: Made Up
Sitting here in a very wet and cold, rainy UK watching the oldies falling out of the local Wetherspoons where they have been on the piss since 9am (yep the UK is weird it's only the old people who can afford to get pissed all day).
I am reflecting on the past as I listen to the latest EP Made Up from Auckland-based Mark Hannington. After 18 years of living in NZ, my return to the UK has been a bit of a culture shock.
The four songs on the EP have been on repeat as I watch the world go by and they take me back to a time when being a musician was all about the music and the art. Mark is a multi-instrumentalist and plays all the instruments on the EP as well as taking on songwriting and vocals.
The sound evokes memories of bands like Ian Drury and the blockheads with a similar vocal delivery. Heart and soul taking over from technical (Mark can play and sing) pizazz. Being a solo artist shows in the songwriting as well. These songs feel personal but are also relatable.
Made Up isn't a nostalgic retro throwback it feels as though Mark is channeling current bands like The Libertines and this EP would fit well alongside a plethora of up-and-coming bands here in the UK who are also trawling influences from the past and making it relevant and of the here and now...
Ultimately, I have a smile on my face (and not just from watching the elderly drunks stumbling onto the pavement). Made Up has humour, heart, and soul along with its own laid-back swagger and attitude which feels like a breath of fresh air at a time when everything is about image and pandering to the target market or current Zeitgeist.
Listen and learn. In music, less is often more and Marrow Neck has hit the sweet spot where musicianship meets passion and soul. I can't wait to hear more.
About Marrow Neck
Originally from London, Marrow Neck's debut EP Made Up (Oct 22) fuses UK, punk and post punk and NZ indie band influences.
Think The Rezillos, Ian Dury, The Ramones, The Kinks, Jonathan Richman, The Verlaines, Dateline, Merk, Hans Pucket, Being., The Beths and you'll get some idea of where Marrow Neck is coming from.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Marrow Neck
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