Review: Thrashing Marlin 'Donkey Deep'

THRASHING MARLIN
Donkey Deep
[Braille Records]

Reviewing this album is almost like reviewing the history of music - where should you begin? Donkey Deep is the fourth album from New Zealand group Thrashing Marlin, which is effectively the multi-instrumentalist duo David Donaldson and Steve Roche. The pair contribute all manner of musical styles and genres across this collection of fourteen songs, which vary from the country-folk opener Time Of Your Life to closing sing-along One More Time, which moves from a finger-picked acoustic guitar to Mexican-flavoured brass. The standout though, is Tangiwai Train, a raw, Nick Cave-styled murder ballad with all the necessary ingredients (death and damnation) delivered over a harmonica-laden, whiskey-soaked stomp; while the vaguely Middle Eastern Another Man's Grave sums up the darkness at the heart of this record. Deeply layered instrumentation, compellingly structured songs which straddle a variety of genres and deft, sophisticated lyricism make for a hugely enjoyable album which rewards repeat listens richly.

4 stars from 5

Check out the Donkey Deep album here...

This review originally appeared in the Waikato Times.

Review: Cat's Eyes 'Cat's Eyes'

CAT'S EYES
Cat's Eyes
[Co-Op]

Cat's Eyes is an odd collaboration between Faris Badwan, frontman for feted British indie-rockers The Horrors; and Canadian opera singer and multi-instrumentalist Rachel Zeffira. The unlikely pair bonded over a shared love of 1960s girl-group pop, deciding to use that unifying passion as a basis for writing the songs which appear on this, their self-titled debut album. Produced by Steve Osborne (New Order), Cat's Eyes stretch the boundaries of the genre almost beyond recognition with a heavily classical, Gothic bombast filtered through a myriad of machines - reinterpreting the sound of Phil Spector's female charges of the '60s for the post-dubstep generation. Imagine Massive Attack fronted by The Ronettes. Or, try imagining a porno starring Kate Bush, Nick Cave and Prefuse 73, directed by Vangelis' evil twin. Ooer! The money shot comes with the contrast between Badwan's part-Ian Curtis, part-Roy Orbison baritone and Zeffira's breathy, precise soprano. Flawed, but definitely intriguing.

3 stars from 5