Review Summary: Guitar mastery. Female vocals. Zach Hill. This is the math rock jackpot.
Anyone reading this review can most likely pinpoint an album or band that opened their eyes to the world of music. Whether it be Linkin Park or Converge, that one special band tore you away from the music your parents listened to and the constant rotation of pop acts blasting out of the radio. For New York based musician Marnie Stern, math-rock was the genre, and acts such as Don Caballero and Hella were the bands. After years of dissatisfaction with her life, Marnie decided to pick up a guitar and become a musician. Building upon her influences, Stern created a mix of experimental math rock and indie pop music. On her sophomore record
This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That (hereon
This Is It...), Stern crafts a truly original piece of musical art.
Just by looking at the title of the album gives the listener an insight for the ride the record will bring. Based on an Alan Watts quote, the title is more than just a shared interest in Watts literature between Marnie and drummer Zach Hill (yes, that Zach Hill). Quirky, fun, and all over the place-- the title shares many similarities with Marnie's music. A flurry of two-handed finger tapping and spastic drumming,
This Is It... is technically astounding. Although it is not fair to categorize Stern's music as purely technical, however. The music never overwhelms or wows the listener like many math rock bands tend to do. Instead, Stern keeps her two-handed tapping under control and leaves space in between the chaos for the listener to breathe. Drummer Zach Hill is known for his eccentric and blistering playing, but he keeps his beats under control, letting Marnie's guitar work and vocals take the spotlight. That does not mean that Zach's playing is dull and simple; in fact, Marnie was forced to tour with an iPod filled with Zach's drum tracks when she was unable to find a drummer that could play his work. It is hard to pin down the music to just one genre. Very experimental, yet filled with pop hooks,
This Is It... is it a genre all its own.
Unlike Stern's debut album
In Advance of the Broken Arm,
This Is It... relies less on math rock cliches, and more on what is going on in Marnie's head. Filled with more two-handed tapping than a Tera Melos record,
In Advance of the Broken Arm fell into the common pitfalls of many math rock records.
This Is It... shows Marnie taking a step away from her influences, and stepping into her own mind. One of the best tracks on the album, "The Crippled Jazzer", Stern utilizes two-handed tapping sparingly, focusing more on groove than guitar wankery. The song will have you nodding your head as it progresses while Marnie uses her voice and guitar to reel you in. Stern's voice can go from smooth and soothing to a high pitched whine. In either case, Stern's vocals are always uplifting and happy, trying to motivate herself and whoever is listening. Stern uses pop sounding vocal hooks along with guitar hooks to make every song a fun listen. Her lyrics are cryptic but understandable, repeating phrases such as ""He was just 1 like a prime number/He was devoid of plus" in the opener "Prime", to reciting math equations in the quirky "Clone Cycle". Vocals and math rock typically do not go hand in hand, but Stern uses her voice to follow the craziness of the music in a way that feels right. Marnie experiments with her voice just as much as her music, almost always matching her vocal melodies to the speed and feel of her guitar lines. The experimentation and emotion put into
This Is It... is what makes it an excellent album.
Marnie Stern has many problems. She is an insomniac. She is never satisfied with her own work. She is not very social; working on music by herself day after day. All of these faults find their way into her music. The songs she creates seem to carry no defined structure, once the song settles into a comfortable space it is unwound and thrown about. Is this how an insomniac thinks? Seemingly going in circles with no certain destination, the songs are the result of controlled insanity. The production is squeaky clean courtesy to Zach Hill and Marnie's perfectionist attitude. Building layer upon layer of guitar work and vocals with no problems, the production is magnificent. "Would Zach like it?", Marnie started asking herself as she created this album, which shows her straying away from her loneliness in the songwriting process, ultimately boosting the quality of songs on
This Is It.... With twelve songs spanning about forty minutes, Marnie manages to keep each song distinguishable and interesting, rarely including a weak track.
This Is It... is an incredible piece of music. Experimental and original, Marnie Stern has created a near perfect record. Drawing from her influences in the math rock world, but incorporating her emotions and ideas,
This Is It... is a standout album in the genre. Marnie Stern should be held in the same regard as her favorite bands, hopefully inspiring a new wave of female guitar virtuosos. Looking to the future, Marnie Stern has a bright path ahead of her,
This Is It... is just the beginning.
