MarineVille ~ Ready for the Dance

Oak Park Records

I wouldn't be surprised if MarineVille singer-guitarist Mark Williams (no, not the disco guy), recently acquired the nickname 'Nostradamus'. That's because, despite the fact that it was recorded early this year, there's a line on the stunning closing epic Yoko Ono, that goes "You terrorise the NY skyline" ~ spooky or what?

Apart from that surprise, there's nine fine songs here on the debut by this Wellington band.

Anke opens things up splendidly, with some shimmering guitar, booming bass and trembling effects. Ghost of Bobby Forster is a pleasant jangly guitar piece, but MarineVille really shows its true colours on August and Zero Pilot On The Ground, with both featuring some impressive tumultuous passages.

The stunning final epic, Hey Predator, follows. An instrumental for the first six of its eight minutes, it's slowly droning and hypnotic, teetering on the verge of exploding, but never doing so.
Bird, conversely, is short and sharp while Lazy Eye (and Th' Junkie Slip) has a sound akin to the whirring of helicopter blades.
Oak Park Records (4 stars)

The 13-minute Yoko Ono is absolutely astounding. The structure is mesmerising and the pace frenetic. It has tension, innovation and originality.

Presumably it's a subtle dig at Ono's allegedly autocratic handling of John Lennon's legacy and estate. She does after all, live in New York and her manner has always been contentious. Recent events, however, obviously put a new slant on what it could focus on.

POSTED BY Mark ON 01 May 2002