History has taught us that throwing money at a track doesn’t exclusively make it good. In fact, the opposite is sometimes more true. Some of the world’s greatest albums were made in garages, defying the high production costs of the 70s and initiating the wave of lo-fi sound.
The polar opposite of high quality and synonymous with DIY is low fidelity music making, inclusive of technical flaws, background noise and minimal post-production.
Born from necessity and later utilised willingly, lo-fi introduced ground-breaking albums such as Mountain Goats’ Full Force Galesburg and Beck’s Stereopathetic Soulmanure. The sensation hasn’t ebbed, but has gained recent momentum to produce acclaimed albums by Vivian Girls, Wavves, Grizzly Bear and Best Coast.
Marlinspike’s EP Time Capsule is a welcome addition to the collection. Defiantly nonconformist, their aesthetic is genre-defying, garage gold. While this band may fit into the lo-fi mould, they also resolutely defy it through their lackadaisical underdone, psychedelic aesthetic and explorative musicality.
A trip in both senses, Marlinspike’s new EP Time Capsule is aptly named, transporting you through time and space to the mind-altering rock decadence of the 1970s.
Marlinspike have created an EP full of low fidelity anthems, reminiscent of Kevin Parker on the original Tame Impala EP. Less psychedelic more rock heavy, the band plays to their strengths with tight guitar riffs, synthetic additions and resilient vocals.
Expertly mixed by Western Australian local Broderick Madden-Scott (Tunafish) each song is a wave of raw talent and abrasiveness.
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Dandelion is an initiation into the disparate sounds of Marlinspike’s repertoire. Cranked and cascading, the track is an undeniably well-crafted balance between guitar and synth domination.
Harry Morse’s reverberating vocal assimilates into the track rather than fighting against it, a late-coming distortion then creating an explosive and potent immersion of sound.
Highlight track and latest single Technicolour is darker than the title suggests. The momentous brilliance of the track is its strength, creating culminating force within its verse and slow candour with the chorus. More dissonant and drawled than its counterparts, its turbulence is delivered slickly and smoothly.
Marlinspike fiercely bridge the divide between mainstream appeal and noisy melodicism, coupling explorative guitar along with emotive lyrical deliverance and smooth reverberation.
Surprisingly articulate within the walls of their psychedelic tendencies, their emotive explorations are subtle but welcomed, creating a viscous and vicious record.
Time Capsule by Marlinspike is available June 23rd.
If you want to catch Marlinspike launching this chunky collection of tunes live, head on down to Mojo’s in Fremantle this Friday. Supports include Dream Rimmy, Bells Rapids, The Feast of Snakes, Tashi and Brod (Spaceman).
Grab all the details you need here.
