2014 has certainly been an extremely busy year for Bingley quintet Marmozets. This summer alone saw them spend a month on the legendary Vans Warped Tour, with festival appearances at the likes of Glastonbury, Reading & Leeds, Download and Lowlands either side of it. Throughout all of this, they’ve been busy preparing the release of their hotly anticipated debut album, The Weird and Wonderful Marmozets.
Opening with instant chaos on Born Young and Free, Marmozets frontwoman Becca MacIntyre instantly shows off her impressive vocal range whilst switching between fierce growls, clean vocals and piercing screams. A massive, radio-made chorus of “we can go wherever we want ‘cus we’re free, yeah we’re free” is sandwiched between fast-paced verses either side. Early highlight Why Do You Hate Me? follows suit with another crazy intro, before Jack Bottomley and Sam MacIntyre’s sharp, math-rock guitars intertwine as they accompany further gut-wrenching screams from Becca. The confrontational lyrics fit in perfectly with the in-your-face instrumentation as Marmozets prove their worth very early on. The extremely Paramore-esque Captivate You follows with a strummed intro, preceding a full-on punk rock-out and a chorus which is easily one of the most anthemic on the album. It strays away from the chaotic sound Marmozets are so renowned for, rather choosing to remain a straight-out punk rock anthem. Is It Horrible’s simple drum beat and catchy riff introduces what is by far one of the fiercest screams on the album, as MacIntyre repeatedly asks, “Is it horrible? Is it horrible?”. The fast, danceable drums make way for another large chorus, as Sam and Becca accompany eachother’s vocals in the verses. The shifting time signatures heard in the bridge are everpresent throughout the album, adding to that sense of unpredictability Marmozets are so good at. The forceful riffs of Cover Up present us with another epic chorus, as Marmozets take another step back from the chaos on this arena-sized anthem. A memorable scream towards the end proceeds to lead into the agitated bass and drum combos of Particle. Opening with haunting instrumentalism, Particle slowly morphs into a mix of radio-friendly choruses and brutal screams as MacIntyre pleads, “Please don’t go, please don’t go”. It speeds up in the breakdown with squealing guitars, before the outro sees Marmozets get raunchy with a hip-shaking metal riff.
Following the chaos and unpredictability of the first 6 songs, Cry sees Marmozets enter ballad territory with an intro comprised of feedback noise and a dark piano melody. Uplifting lyrics such as “you are invincible, shining like a heart of gold” show us that there’s a positive side to Marmozets, before the pace picks up as MacIntyre sings, “I’m fighting on my own” repeatedly over a mix of hands-in-the-air drumming and beautiful harmonies. Cry is quite possibility one of the best songs released this year, and it certainly sets the bar on this album very high. Powerful festival anthem (and title track) Weird and Wonderful speeds the album up again with a memorable riff and massive chorus, with MacIntyre’s slightly autotuned vocals continuing to show an empowering, uplifting side to the band. MacIntyre was reportedly ill during the recording of the title track, which resulted in the slightly altered vocals. Vibetech follows with insane time signature changes and mental screams as chaos completely descends upon the ears of the listener. The first half of the song is led by a distorted bass riff, before a repeated query of “show me what you got, show me what you know” leads into a manic instrumental section. The song ends with a crazy, danceable rock-out which ensures that Vibetech is the most exciting song Marmozets have ever released. The Arctic Monkeys-goes-metal riff of Love You Good keeps the album exciting as MacIntyre confronts her lover with more in-your-face vocals and an extremely fantastic chorus. Love You Good is perfect for every single indie disco in the country, aided by a riff which could easily pass of as one of Alex Turner and co.’s early hits. As the song increases in intensity, a fierce scream leads into a manic rendition of the chorus which, yet again, proves how amazing Marmozets really are at what they do.
Hit the Wave goes on to further accentuate the Paramore comparisons with a mix of punkish riffs and large choruses, before recent single Move Shake Hide’s infectious and powerful melodies and vocals bring the album near its close. The chorus in Move Shake Hide is one of the best on the album, with the song being the result of a discussion between the band and their label about reaching out to playing bigger audiences. Songs like Move Shake Hide definitely show that Marmozets are capable of selling out arenas’, as album closer Back To You sees them finish on a memorable note. Starting off slowly, Back To You slowly builds up in intensity through its powerful drums and epic riff. Just over a minute before it all ends, MacIntyre releases a godly howl as the song comes to a sublime climax of emotional screams and forceful drum and guitar combinations.
As the album comes to a magnificent close, one thing is for certain – Marmozets are the best in the world right now. There is no band around right now who can make songs of such intensity and mayhem, whilst still maintaining a smooth, polished radio-friendly sound. As they slowly build up a bigger name for themselves, don’t be surprised if this band will be selling out arenas in the near future. They’re weird, they’re wonderful and they’re absolutely fantastic.
9/10
The Weird and Wonderful Marmozets is released on Monday via Roadrunner Records.
