The local outfit The Marlboro Chorus has an easygoing, ambling style that’s belied by a keen attention to production and arrangement. What you’re left with on the group’s new album, “Good Luck” , is the lo-fi charm of a singer-songwriter such as Elliot Smith combined with playful but meticulous flourishes that remind me of The Flaming Lips.
That creates a certain tension, a push and pull that keeps the blood pumping through the music and the ears.
“Good Luck” is jangly alt-country pop that works on virtually every level, and already it looks like a top contender for local release of the year. Led by Pat Stolley (formerly of The Multiple Cat), this pseudonymous foursome (going by the names “The Emperor” Justinian, “Rudie” Reyhons, B. Patric, and Rick – the most precious part of the whole experience) has lovingly crafted a multi-layered record. The band has created 10 gems that sparkle with driving, jumpy tunes, falsetto vocals and harmonies, insistent percussion, and offbeat, largely acoustic instrumentation.
The record also represents the first full-length release from the Davenport-based Future Appletree label, and if this is any indication of what’s ahead, this imprint could have a very bright future. Future Appletree has a distribution deal with the Champaign-Urbana, Illinois-based Parasol Records, which handles some of the biggest names in independent rock. (The label can be found at http://www.parasol.com.)
The CD’s strengths are readily apparent on the first track, “Potters, Daisies,” when acoustic guitars are joined midway through by slide guitar and a pounded piano. On “Car Parked, Girl Crying,” the unexpected comes in a more subtle form, a little rhythm hiccup that catches the ear. There are surprises around just every corner on “Good Luck” , and they help the album transcend the usual; it’s difficult to listen to it casually, because it demands your attention.
This is the type of pop that works overtime trying to disguise how well-crafted it is. It sounds nearly tossed off. That constructed offhand quality is amazingly difficult to pull off, because it’s fundamentally dishonest; every detail has been labored over. (The album was recorded over two years.)
It’s also music that can’t quite wipe the smile off its face. Even the downbeat songs are pretty damned upbeat, and it’s hard to imagine anybody emerging from the album without uplifted spirits. Only “What’s Your Alignment” manages to darken the mood, and that’s immediately dispelled by the sunny stomp of “Always One for Fun.”
There’s also a wonderful arc in the sequencing of “Good Luck” , as it starts with two relatively rollicking tunes and ends calmer and wiser, but no less interesting. “Truly Sorry” and “The Endgame” achieve a meditative state to close the album, the perfect cool-down from what came before, in which every detail pops out. (In particular, pay attention to the percussion track of “Truly Sorry.”)
That’s a long-winded way of saying that “Good Luck” is cause for celebration. It might fall short of classic status, but it will brighten your life.
The Marlboro Chorus will next play at the Coffee Hound in East Moline on May 22. The band will also participate in a Future Appletree showcase on May 24 at the Quad Cities Brew & View.
For more information on The Marlboro Chorus or the Future Appletree label, visit (http://www.futureappletree.com), or write to P.O. Box 191, Davenport IA 52805-0191.
Also noteworthy are upcoming Future Appletree releases by Driver of the Year (May 13) and Seth Knappen (May 27).
“Good Luck” is jangly alt-country pop that works on virtually every level, and already it looks like a top contender for local release of the year. Led by Pat Stolley (formerly of The Multiple Cat), this pseudonymous foursome (going by the names “The Emperor” Justinian, “Rudie” Reyhons, B. Patric, and Rick – the most precious part of the whole experience) has lovingly crafted a multi-layered record. The band has created 10 gems that sparkle with driving, jumpy tunes, falsetto vocals and harmonies, insistent percussion, and offbeat, largely acoustic instrumentation.
The record also represents the first full-length release from the Davenport-based Future Appletree label, and if this is any indication of what’s ahead, this imprint could have a very bright future. Future Appletree has a distribution deal with the Champaign-Urbana, Illinois-based Parasol Records, which handles some of the biggest names in independent rock. (The label can be found at http://www.parasol.com.)
The CD’s strengths are readily apparent on the first track, “Potters, Daisies,” when acoustic guitars are joined midway through by slide guitar and a pounded piano. On “Car Parked, Girl Crying,” the unexpected comes in a more subtle form, a little rhythm hiccup that catches the ear. There are surprises around just every corner on “Good Luck” , and they help the album transcend the usual; it’s difficult to listen to it casually, because it demands your attention.
This is the type of pop that works overtime trying to disguise how well-crafted it is. It sounds nearly tossed off. That constructed offhand quality is amazingly difficult to pull off, because it’s fundamentally dishonest; every detail has been labored over. (The album was recorded over two years.)
It’s also music that can’t quite wipe the smile off its face. Even the downbeat songs are pretty damned upbeat, and it’s hard to imagine anybody emerging from the album without uplifted spirits. Only “What’s Your Alignment” manages to darken the mood, and that’s immediately dispelled by the sunny stomp of “Always One for Fun.”
There’s also a wonderful arc in the sequencing of “Good Luck” , as it starts with two relatively rollicking tunes and ends calmer and wiser, but no less interesting. “Truly Sorry” and “The Endgame” achieve a meditative state to close the album, the perfect cool-down from what came before, in which every detail pops out. (In particular, pay attention to the percussion track of “Truly Sorry.”)
That’s a long-winded way of saying that “Good Luck” is cause for celebration. It might fall short of classic status, but it will brighten your life.
The Marlboro Chorus will next play at the Coffee Hound in East Moline on May 22. The band will also participate in a Future Appletree showcase on May 24 at the Quad Cities Brew & View.
For more information on The Marlboro Chorus or the Future Appletree label, visit (http://www.futureappletree.com), or write to P.O. Box 191, Davenport IA 52805-0191.
Also noteworthy are upcoming Future Appletree releases by Driver of the Year (May 13) and Seth Knappen (May 27).
