By Stan Cierlitsky
Black Marble (Chris Stewart) has largely been described as a coldwave band. I have to admit I had no idea what that meant. Apparently, coldwave is defined by icy synthesizer textures, sparse drum machines, chorus-drenched basslines, and detached, melancholic vocals. Check, Check, Check, and Check. I probably need to listen to more coldwave bands because this is really good. His newest album Life in Small Spaces is out this week on Sacred Bones.
The first single from the album was "Jim Carol New Year", with its perplexing misspelling of Jim Carroll's name (assuming it's about the late singer/poet). This is definitely reminiscent of Eighties-era synth bands. I love how Stewart repeats the phrase, "I forgot my money", while the rhythmic synths keep the song moving. The video for this one has Chris walking around in some beautiful nature scenes. It reminds me of all the hikes I've taken, although I don't usually wear hazmat suits on my hikes. This song also reminds me a little of The Drums, mostly due to the vocals.
The second single from the album is the incredible "Anything" after that strong "Jim Carol New Year" opener. It's the most sonically infectious song on the album, and it's honestly the reason I wanted to review this album. It moves away from the rhythmic synths into a more upbeat radio-friendly pop song. It's hard to place all these Eighties sounds, but I really think I'm hearing some Thomas Dolby on this one, and. of course, the Peter Hook-inspired bass is pretty prominent on this one.
The lead track on the album "It Always Comes to Me" is another favorite. On this one Stweart leads with strummy jagged guitar. The cut really reminds me a lot of the Chicago band Hoops. "Get Back Up" sounds like an uplifting Depeche Mode. The pulsing synths in "Missing History" remind me of DNTEL's work in "Nothing better" from The Postal Service. It's fun trying to pick out the references for these songs.
Overall I think anyone that likes Eighties-era synth music is going to find a lot here to like. Chris Stewart does a great job crafting pop songs, and he creates enough variety here to keep you listening.
Life in Small Spaces by Black Marble is out on Friday, August 21 via Sacred Bones.
[Photo: Ashley Leahy]