Magik Markers
4/5 stars
With "Surrender to the Fantasy," Magik Markers demonstrate a clear departure from their last album, "Volodor Dance," as they create a softer, more psychedelic sound with just as much creativity and originality.
Magik Markers is a noise rock band from Hartford, Connecticut that has been active since 2001. The band owes a lot to major influences like Sonic Youth for both their sound and their success. In fact, their debut album was released off Thurston Moore’s label and Lee Ranaldo produced their second. Still, despite obvious ties to earlier noise rock, Magik Markers combines modern effects with psychedelic energy to create a unique sound on "Surrender to the Fantasy." Although the beginning of the album seems like little more than noise-infused pop, the second half has a much more minimalistic and hauntingly introspective feel.
The first track, 'Crebs,' sounds more quirky and iconoclastic than thoughtful or interesting as excessive amounts of reverb for the vocals and heavy distortion on the guitars combine with the standard and unoriginal changes. Likewise, 'Mirrorless' begins with a cutely bittersweet guitar hook that sets the tone of the song. Although these weren’t the most interesting pieces, they provided a solid start for the album. The most well done facets of the first tracks featured lazy, drifting and sometimes atonal guitar solos that foreshadowed the second half of the album.
The second half starts at 'American Sphinx Face.' It features an ethereal drone and heavy bass line that create a darkly psychedelic environment. This foundation combines with Ambrogio’s psychotic improvisation and lyrics about “Lilly’s lilies” and “yellow scrolls” to create a truly sublime atmosphere. Peter Nolan borrowed a friend’s Mellotron for the next track, 'Young.' With this song, the band creates a bittersweet feeling of peaceful acceptance without sounding cliché or overdrawn. The rest of the album keeps this atmospheric quality while incorporating more of the anger and energy seen in their earlier work.
"Surrender to the Fantasy" showcases Magik Markers’s trip into psychedelia. Although some parts are soft and flowery, these moments lend more austerity and beauty to the darker, more minimalistic parts. The band sounds very similar to noise rock predecessors, but "Surrender to the Fantasy" indicates a maturation from the angry, fast-paced noise punk at their roots.
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