There have been many bands over the course of the years that have proved alternative music doesn’t always have to be ugly, and that within even the bleakest moments there can be beauty. No band applies such traits to their music quite like Los Angeles trio Marriages, who have been enchanting audiences with their sprawling blend of post-rock and experimentation ever since the release of debut EP ‘Kitsune’ back in 2012.
The band counts members of Red Sparowes and Nocturnes among their ranks, including incomparable vocalist Emma Ruth Rundle, and after rigorous touring and honing their abilities they have bought their sound to life on their first full length ‘Salome’. Released by the eclectic label Sargent House, which is home to many boundary-pushing artists such as Boris, Chelsea Wolfe, and Deafheaven, ‘Salome’ sees them pushing themselves further than ever before as band, making them stand out amongst a label that is filled with such creative talent.
From the outset, Emma Ruth Rundle’s intoxicating vocal is more powerful than before. The confidence she has gained following last years stunning solo effort ‘Some Heavy Ocean’ shines through over the massive soundscape of ‘Liar’. While it is the vocal that is the first thing you notice about Marriages, the clearly methodical composition of the music commands that you take notice on every track.
‘Santa Sangre’ is laden with intricate effects and subtle nuances, with Rundle leaning into ‘The Red Shoes’-era Kate Bush style vocal passages. It is peaceful in comparison to the droning density of ‘Second Thought’, as the low-end repetition of guitars draws you further into ‘Salome’.
The cavernous title track finds the vocal lower in the mix, and almost indecipherable at times, however it gives the music much more room to breathe and still feels no less emotional in its delivery. The heartbreaking ‘Less Than’ finds Marriages flitting between both serene and cataclysmic moments, with violent hues of heavy post-rock in a similar vein to Isis being complimented by sparse moments of fragility.
As ‘Salome’ begins to wind down, the angular yet tranquil ‘Love, Texas’ soars from the albums overtly dark atmosphere, but is no less haunting. To the final moments of closing track ‘Contender’, which finds Rundle tragically expressing “I cannot stand, to save my life” with brooding eloquence until it’s cadence, the album has been crafted perfectly.
On previous EP ‘Kitsune’, each track was segued together, where as on ‘Salome’ every composition feels like a separate entity in it’s own right. However they are not all disparate, and the ambience of the album stays the same through out, flowing with precision. Marriages use light and dark shades to draw various emotions through out the album, and with ‘Salome’ they will take you on a personal, and deeply intimate journey.
GLEN BUSHELL