Marrow & Soot - Hearth

Weird noise and downtempo come together in this highly experimental record by Marrow & Soot, resulting in an eclectic mixture of pure sound manipulation and a more palatable brand of rhythm.

While it might be cliched to say, Hearth does indeed 'transcend' genres, with the only real applicable and consistent descriptor being 'experimental'. There are a lot of different soundscapes and moods displayed throughout the record, ranging from dark ambient-esque claustrophobia '(Just a Cough') to minimal synth ('Hide All Promises'), but it all manages to come together quite well.

In some respects one could view Hearth as a trial record, with Marrow & Soot exploring different sounds and styles in an attempt to discover their own; in the same way though, one could see the record as a mish-mash of varying styles uniting under the one conceptual theme. While the atmosphere of the album is not always consistent, I feel that there is some level of cohesion to the tracks and that the artist intended to convey this multidimensional approach to electronic music.

It's simply a matter of my own preference, but I feel that Marrow & Soot are best when they employ a sense of solemnity and emotion, such as on 'Often Alone' or the aforementioned 'Hide All Promises'. The latter track in particular is very well done and reminds me a lot of Martial Canterel's newer material. A venture down this compositional path might be a good thing for Marrow & Soot.

Hearth has so far only seen a digital release, which while unfortunate will hopefully garner interest and result in a physical pressing. Marrow & Soot is a newcomer to experimental 'scene' as a whole, but they show remarkable promise on this record and will hopefully continue with the project.

free download and stream at bandcamp