Marrow by Ginger Libations & Anjali Rose: Review

 

by Ben Fitts

The sparse opening electric piano chords of Marrow, the debut EP from the Brooklyn via Western Massachusetts indie rock/jazz fusion/modern soul outfit Ginger Libations & Anjali Rose, manage to somehow convey the essence of what’s to come. Those opening chords (which occupy all of seven seconds of the EP’s first track, “and Grind”) capture the charm, knack for working creatively within deceptively simple frameworks, and penchant for modal structures that are found in abundance throughout Marrow. While does all of that before even a single other instrument kicks in, that’s not to say that the other instruments don’t add anything as that could not be further from the truth.

The EP jumps into full swing as drums, bass, guitar, and a saxophone join the mix on “and Grind”, a catchy, instrumental-driven tune with sparse vocals that stands out as an early highlight of the Marrow and walks the seemingly paradoxical line of being concurrently both high and low energy. The opener is followed by the brief, ambient interlude “Rain”, before the EP fades into its lengthiest track, “Ozone High”. Guest featuring the musician Calo, “Ozone High” forgoes the steadier rhythms and clearer indie rock influences of “and Grind” in favor of a wash of ambient texture and slow melodies. “Ozone High” is followed by a forty-six second sound collage of candid dialogue, white noise, room noises, and snippets of musical performances titled “Nostalgia”, which is in turn followed by the full-length track “Moon Knows”. 

Putting their soul-jazz leanings on full display, “Moon Knows” is a dynamic-driven slow burn of a song that builds from a percussion-less pianississimo beginning into a high energy, groove-oriented climax. Every two full songs on Marrow have a short interlude between them, and the final one is the aptly titled “Last Interlude”. “Last Interlude” falls between “Moon Knows” and the EP’s closing track, “Splendor Never Ends”. “Splendor Never Ends” closes Marrow on much the same note as “and Grind” opens it, but with the intensity, dynamics, and penchant for experimentation all appropriately ramped up, as befits a final track. “Splendor Never Ends” proves itself an excellent end to a true gem of an EP that should be able to engage both casual music fans and other musicians alike. 

Marrow by Ginger Libations & Anjali Rose can be both streamed and purchased on Bandcamp HERE

Ben Fitts is a writer, musician, and zinester from New York City. He is the author of over thirty published works of short fiction, nineteen of which were later included in his debut collection, My Birth And Other Regrets. His music writing has been featured in such outlets as The Sludgelord, Pioneer Valley Underground, Metal Temple, and Asphyxium Zine, among others. He currently lives in Brooklyn, where he plays guitar in the indie rock band War Honey, makes zines, and puts too much hot sauce on everything.