Having made music together since middle school, the duo of Glow Marrow, i.e. Derek Coburn and Darin Green, incorporates electronic influences into their sunny pop formula. However, that wasn’t always the case. Originally intended to be a more guitar-oriented outfit, it wasn’t until their guitars were stolen and the bass never recovered that they delved into electronic ideas to fill out their sound. Perhaps a blessing in disguise, the band’s second release is an entirely upbeat affair, the six songs on this EP just never stop smiling and the cheerful guitar riffs and happy-go-lucky synth promise that you won’t listen to this without it improving your day on some level.
The EP leads off with “Bear Creek,” a glorious, wild tune that is equal parts indie rock and electronica. “Provincial Sympathy” follows and slows things down with a slight Caribbean influence and is as relaxing as it is lively. The middle tracks are among the best, “Key Waves” being a more synth heavy affair and “Aughts” pairs drums and pianos until xylophones come in. At the end, “Julian” elicits a psyche rock meets electro-pop vibe, the synth and guitars reside at full throttle while the layering is maxed out.
Let’s face it, most indie rock today is a real downer. Introspective, self-pitying lyrics, and bleak music that could be the soundtrack to tying a noose are par for the course. Glow Marrow, on the other hand, is like the musical version of Zoloft with no adverse side effects. These two young men work exceptionally well together, never sounding thin or contrived and able to deliver uplifting, creative, and refreshing music that probably gets a lot of comparisons to Animal Collective, which isn’t a bad thing.
The unusual cover art grabs your attention, but the music reels you in for good, hook, line and sinker. When’s the LP guys?
