Mike Marlin - Grand Reveal
Drawing influence from, and comparisons to, Nick Cave's Murder Ballads, welcome to 'Grand Reveal', the third album from Mike Marlin.
There is a simple song (‘Lying Next To Me’) on ‘Grand Reveal’ that is a perfect example of what Mike does terrifically well.
You immediately identify with the sentiment: how much do you trust the person you’re with? But on repeated listening, it dawns on you that perhaps it is the protagonist who should not be trusted. Nothing on this record is quite what it seems.
The future single ‘War To Begin’ - "And I’ve been here before/Standing in my uniform/Waiting for this bloody war to begin" - is it a call to arms? Or a lament for lives wasted on envy and excuses?
The hauntingly Nick Cave-esque ‘The Murderer’ features wind up toys, strings and discordant guitars to create a horror movie soundtrack. Is it about an unnamed killer? Or is it about you, the murderer, forever killing time? A real horror movie!
Mike was brought up in suburbia. When he was four years old he lost an eye while playing in the garden at home. The accident was traumatic and it turned Mike into the person he is today.
Children are cruel and there was plenty of fuel for his anger and
competitiveness. He became withdrawn and introspective.
His outlet was academic and he became something of a child prodigy and at the age of seventeen won a scholarship to Oxford to study Physics.
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This weekend Mike heads off on a UK tour with Huey and the New Yorkers:
Tuesday March 12th Preston Guildhall
Thursday March 14th Gloucester Guildhall
Friday March 15th Nottingham Rescue Rooms
Saturday March 16th Stoke Sugarmill
Monday March 18th Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms
Tuesday March 19th London Putney Half Moon