Words by Ariya Lily Arshadi-Cunningham
Well, my fellow New Yorkers, the coldest time of the year is upon us, and I can’t think of a better time for Brooklyn-based psychedelic band Marjorine to release their newest collection of sounds. Their EP “Drop Deep” is out today, Friday, January the 24th and is your personal prescription for the winter blues.
The EP opens with “Body”. Warm and inviting, with its sun-baked tones and intentionally repetitious vocals, the listener is lulled into the track’s cozy atmosphere of sound. This is one for my dichotomy fans, as beautiful grainy guitar accentuates the rich and textured track. “Body” skillfully sets the tone for the rest of the EP with its lush nostalgia, all while keeping the energy high and the listener engaged (I promise you’ll find yourself singing “Body… what you do to me” while doing your laundry…I know I did).
“Day of Sun” slows things down a bit in the best possible way. Now, if “Body” was the kind of track you’d play in your apartment while you’re lighting candles and pretending it’s summer, “Day of Sun” is what you’d put on while you’re actually lying on the beach in some long-forgotten youthful reverie. Moody guitars, emotional vocals, gentle drums, and a baseline like heartstrings make track no.2 a standout. It’s melancholy in the sweetest possible way with the bass, gentle and steady, pulling you under. The drums are the sand, soft and persistent, while the distorted guitars and penetrating vocals are like those waves that sneak up on you, crashing at the edges of your consciousness.
“Dave’s Red Couch” is the third track and the only one to feature lyrics written 10 years before the writing of Drop Deep began. The theme of nostalgia rears its lovely visage again. Guitars that sound familiar, vocals that wrap you in the comfort of time and space. The track features laser-like sounds formed by a reverb delay on bass. One-of-a-kind in all the best ways, I assure you haven’t heard something like this one before.
The EP closes up with “Time,” and, I have to say, it wraps everything up in the most satisfying way possible—like the perfect bow on a gift you didn’t even know you needed. Featuring tempo changes that come in like little sneaky surprises—and that recorded click reminds me of the metronome—it’s like an Easter egg for anyone who’s ever caught themselves lost in the mechanics of sound, taking the listener on a unique journey through the passage of time. For those of us who consider themselves sound nerds (guilty as charged!) this concluding track is for you.
Overall, Drop Deep is a perfect record for all those prone to maladaptive daydreaming one’s way through this seemingly never-ending cold season, and it’ll hold your hand as things begin warming up. Come summer, when the sun’s doing its thing and you find yourself on the shuttle to Rockaway Beach, you’ll realize you’ve been listening to this EP on loop all along, making those sunburnt days feel just a little bit softer—in other words, here are four new songs (an appropriate number!) that feel less like a fair-weather friend and more like an all-seasonal companion.
And finally, a little blast from the past…