Marnie Stern | The Chronicles of Marnia

Kill Rock Stars (2013)

By REYAN ALI | March 13, 2013

3.5 Stars

In the arena of charming and entertaining indie-music figures, Marnie Stern stands unopposed. The Manhattan resident frequently knocks out vivacious interviews, has stirred up beef with fellow indie sweetheart Best Coast over BC's purported shallowness, and has used her attractiveness to her advantage by setting up a pay-to-play kissing booth at shows. What's more, to coincide with The Chronicles of Marnia, she's letting Kill Rock Stars throw a contest called "Win a Release-Date Date with Marnie Stern." But although Stern easily wins attention through her off-record personality, her on-record personality is where the true allure is to be found. On Marnia, her terrific fourth album, she comes across as a forgotten nymph of Greek mythology — an elusive figure renowned for her shadowy charisma and piquant, guitar-driven indie-pop math rock. Armed with her instrument, Super Marnie turns into Fire Marnie, shooting off golden-light-emitting, shredding-and-fingertapping-born riffs in every direction. She has one preferred tone — spend a bit of time with Stern and it's instantly recognizable — but it's a distinct, smart thing delivered with gusto and grace, so it works magic four out of five times. A whole mess of other elements are in play too: the lithe drumming of guest Kid Millions, weird vocal stylings (i.e., monkey noises), weird instrumental passages (is that a kazoo in "Nothing Is Easy"?), and — most important — her self-doubting lyrics. Marnia puts a diary's worth of mantras and questions forward with little context or elaboration. Both of more would be helpful. "All my life, it's based on fantasy/And all the gods have stopped talking to me," she states in "Proof of Life" in a plain, shattered voice. In "Noonan," she asks, "Don't you want to be somebody?," temporarily inspired but terrified that she won't ever be somebody. These on-record musings never reveal the off-record Marnie, which is a shame, but the sprawling, chimerical Marnia brings you close enough to be captivating anyhow.

» REYANALI@HOTMAIL.COM

MARNIE STERN + ROOMRUNNER:: Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave, Allston :: April 14 :: 9 pm :: 18+ :: $10 :: 617.566.9014 or greatscottboston.com

Topics: CD Reviews , review, Marnie Stern, album

| More

Most Popular

The Current Issue

Table of Contents

Cover Archive

Masthead | Authors | Contact us

Blogs

Where To Follow Me
Talking Politics | March 24, 2013 at 11:09 AM

Mo Takes His Turn
March 21, 2013 at 12:59 PM

[Q&A] KMFDM's Sascha Konietzko on art, Columbine and having balls
On The Download | March 18, 2013 at 3:22 PM

See this film series: The Belmont World Film Series @ Studio Cinema in Belmont
Outside The Frame | March 18, 2013 at 11:00 AM

See this film: This is Spinal Tap [with post-film talk by expert from Acoustical Society of America] @ the Coolidge
March 17, 2013 at 12:00 PM

ARTICLES BY REYAN ALI

MARNIE STERN | THE CHRONICLES OF MARNIA | March 13, 2013
In the arena of charming and entertaining indie-music figures, Marnie Stern stands unopposed.

NO REST FOR BLACKBIRD BLACKBIRD | March 13, 2013
Blackbird Blackbird's 2012 EP Boracay Planet takes its name from two sources: Boracay — a beach-filled, postcard-perfect island in the Philippines — and a dream Mikey Maramag had about the tourist trap, despite never having visited.

WILD BELLE PUSH MAGICAL BUTTONS | February 11, 2013
Wild Belle's multi-ethnic allegiances — Afropop, reggae, and rocksteady — fuse into American indie-pop and classic rock. Results are, at varying times, tropical, tepid, and tempestuous.

THE LUMINEERS AIM FOR THE RAFTERS | February 01, 2013
Jeremiah Fraites isn't famous — at least not yet. The drummer of the Lumineers, the folk trio who experienced an outrageously fruitful 2012, is talking to me two days before appearing on the January 19 Saturday Night Live, but he doesn't sound convinced that his band have crossed the fame threshold.

PHANTOM GLUE COME INTO FOCUS | January 23, 2013
Variations of "nightmarish" and "psychedelic" come up repeatedly as Matt Oates describes his band's work — which makes sense, given that Phantom Glue trace their roots back to Slayer, the Jesus Lizard, and cult post-hardcore act KARP.