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CD review: Marah ‘Life is a Problem’
Marah
`Life is a Problem’
(Valley Farm Songs)
Grade: C
Lots of changes in Marah-ville since last we checked in on brothers Dave and Serge Bielanko and their octane-burning roots rock outfit after 2008’s well-received “Angels of Destruction.” Biggest is the departure of Serge Bielanko, along with the band’s longtime rhythm section, which was bound to mess with the band’s tone and musical interplay no matter who came aboard to fill out the roster.
Rather than fight change, Dave Bielanko decided to take a creative detour and make Marah’s latest an exploration into folksy AOR territory. So “Life is a Problem” isn’t quite a stopgap, but it’s also a Marah record pretty much in name only.
Still present: Bielanko’s gift for yearning, weary choruses caked with nicotine and beer bottle sweat rings. “Valley Farm Song” and “Tramp Art,” among others, prove that Bielanko’s way with a word works in just about any musical idiom.
Sadly absent: the breakneck pace of “Point Breeze,” “Faraway You” or “The Hustle” that made Marah live shows experiences that bordered on revelatory. The benefit of this is that we get more of a glimpse into Bielanko’s lyrical chops - often very good but still a ways from great - but it’s hard to not feel like something’s missing, hearing such a white-hot rock band content to never take their tempos much past a shuffle.
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