Sceneazine.com
Music Reviews
by Julia Pope Red Reign - “Chasing Shadows”
Dauzat St. Marie-”Falling Again”
Marlow Drive
“Lights Are Turning Red.”
Regardless of what genre of music I review, there’s a
word I think of. That word is ”honest.” What I mean by
that is: Is it consistent? Does it flow well? Is there at least
one song that stands out from all the rest? I even imagine a live performance and the audience’s reactions. If
everything is favorable in my mind’s eye, then I’ll give
said band a favorable review and maybe even be a faithful fan.
And if they’re “honest”, there’s a part of them that
isn’t nice. They’ll tell it like it is, won’t pull any punches, and if they were of a mind to, slight in some foul
language. I’m reminded of a scene in What’s Love Got
to Do With It?. Tina Turner, played by Angela Bassett,
says Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary” is
“nice and easy” as they’re leading into their own wellknown live version of it, dance and all. While the guys
of Marlow Drive may be nice Southern gentlemen, their
music isn’t that. There’s that decided edge and grit to it,
therefore making it, as Tina says, “nice and rough”.
That “rough-ness” is heard in “Murfreesboro Rain.”
As I’m writing this, the weather in East Tennessee has
cleared after three or four days of rain. The first few
lines including the Lord watching over him (this I
know). But it reminds me of an acronym I know for
snow and it’s Satan’s Nasty ‘Ol Weather. I guess they
wanted to curse the rain. Whether you think that, or if
it’s their “spiritual song” is totally up to you.
Along with that are the funk and rock aspects, the
“get down and dirty” of it. If I had to pick the best
song from their EP, it would be “Dirty Shame.” There’s
just something about the phrase “it a low-down dirty
shame” that’s so appealing…and so appropriate for a
rock-blues band!
Then, let me touch on the jam sessions in the middle
of the songs. But what song