ALBUM REVIEW: Knowing What You Know Now – Marmozets
It’s been four long years since the release of MARMOZETS‘ astonishing debut record The Weird and Wonderful Marmozets, and you’d be forgiven for forgetting just how important that release was not only for the band themselves, but for the landscape of British rock music as a whole. It was they who first splintered the door that the likes of CREEPER, MILK TEETH and EMPLOYED TO SERVE have since smashed off its hinges, and even with their extended bouts of absence over recent years the expectation for this new record is still sky high.
So the question is simple – does the new album live up to the standards set by its predecessor? In almost every aspect, the answer is a resounding yes. Lead single and album opener Play is a cataclysmic reminder that this gang of young firebrands are one of the most exciting bands not just in the UK, but anywhere in the world. Infectious as hell and with the whole band playing at eleven, it’s a hook filled leviathan of a track that’ll get even the most sour-faced, lead-footed gig goer into the dancing spirit. Habits similarly kicks off with a groove-laden verse that provides the perfect platform from which to launch one of the most belting choruses you’ll hear all year, and if frontwoman Becca MacIntyre was simply a star in the making before, there’s no doubting that she’s now a fully-fledged rockstar of epic proportions.
Despite the lack of screamed vocals, Becca shows off even more of a range than ever before, pulling off a ridiculous amount of polar opposite notes with such dexterity that undoubtedly makes this the best vocal performance of the year so far. That said, it’s not just the leading lady that excels on this record. Major System Error is as sonically ambitious as anything MARMOZETS have ever put their name to, with piercing high pitched vocals and even some PENDULUM-esque instrumentals creeping in towards the end, joined by the pulsating dual guitars of Sam MacIntyre and Jack Bottomley. To complete the quintet, the thudding bass of Will Bottomley and the frenetic drumming of Josh MacIntyre form the backbone of the record and allow the creativity in front of them to truly flourish.
The band as a whole can take real credit for the creative risks that they’ve taken on this album, and there’s no better example of these leaps of faith than the almost ballad-like Insomnia. This stylistic change is indicative of a band looking to broaden their sound and push as many boundaries as they can, and with BOWIE mannerisms littered throughout, they’re hardly looking to play it safe. The track does occasionally feel as if it’s more of a work in progress than the finished article, but considering that 99% of bands will never be able to write a slow song as good as this, that’s hardly a scathing comment.
The band veer into more anthemic territory on Start Again, a track that could easily act as the next radio single, before implementing a more stomping approach on the fiery, punk-fuelled Like A Battery. Despite the quality of these slices of turbocharged rock, the standout track in the middle of the record is New Religion, with a stirring chorus, yet more incredible vocals and some excellent guitar work.
The record and its composition does have a tendency to feel very scattergun in places, and this unpredictability is at times both a strength and a weakness. You never really know what’s just around the corner, and while the surprise in store doesn’t always flow quite as well as you’d want it to, this doesn’t really cause an issue when you’re spending the vast majority of the time in absolute awe of the Brit rock magnificence flooding through your speakers. Knowing What You Know Now isn’t as instantaneous as the debut record, and for all its ambition it doesn’t arrive with quite as much of a shotgun blast as its predecessor, however these small criticisms are relative when comparing this to what is one of the best rock records of the 21st century in The Weird and Wonderful Marmozets.
The aim with Knowing What You Know Now is clearly to force their way into the mainstream, and on that front tracks like the perfectly crafted, heart on your sleeve slow burner Me and You should certainly help them succeed. While this may not exactly be to everyone’s taste, MARMOZETS have attempted to cross over without sacrificing what made them so great in the first place, and for that they certainly deserve to be commended. The fact that they have made the jump with such conviction while managing to maintain every ounce of quality is quite simply breath-taking. Have they lost some of their heaviness? Yes, without a doubt. Have they lost any of their flair, impact or sheer, unparalleled brilliance? Not. One. Bit.
Rating: 9/10
Knowing What You Know Now is out now on Roadrunner Records.
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