Marseille - Devil’s Gonna Get You

Marseille release their new single ‘This Dream Of Mine’ today via Bubblebrain Records. Accompanying it is the b-side ‘Devil’s Gonna Get You’. It marks a departure from the other jingle-jangle tracks on the EP, but can the new sound stack up in quality?

Image & artwork courtesy of Songbird PR.

In most bands, the singer and lead guitarist capture the limelight. That has often been the case in Will Brown and Joe Labrum, but bassist Felix Moxey and drummer Tom Spray emerge from the shadows to share the limelight.

Moxey’s basslines bring the hedonistic jams of The Verve’s ‘Gravity Grave’ and ‘Life’s An Ocean’ to life once more. Beset with the devil, they ooze danger and throb with potential destruction. Meanwhile, Spray’s drumming and percussion create a dystopian nightmare for Brown and Labrum to sprinkle their magic over.

The grooving power of this record is astonishing. Labrum drifts in and out with McCabe-esque noodling or fleeting blasts of Squire whilst Brown delivers an Ashcroft-like fire vocally.

‘The Dream Of Mine’ EP is a collection of three superb jingle-jangle singles and this dysfunctional psychedelic juggernaut. It puts them in the league of Pastel and The Institutes. Something powerful is afoot on the UK underground scene and it’s a joy to witness it.

Marseille – Freedom EP

Derby’s Marseille made huge inroads into the hearts and minds of British music lovers on their recent sold-out tour. To cap it all off, they release their debut EP on the 5th May. Banner image courtesy of Paul Dixon.

Artwork courtesy of Mr. Shaw

The title track ‘Freedom’ is lit up by drummer Tom Spray’s drumming. What begins as a glorious nod to Tony McCaroll’s spiky drumming cascades into something far more flamboyant that Reni would rejoice in. It allows frontman Will Brown to slide into the limelight with his angelic rock ‘n’ roll star vocal. Brown gives the record a soaring sense of destiny but, through his beauty and fragility, lets the masses into the world of Marseille, which is becoming untouchable talent-wise.

On the latest single ‘Thinker’, the love of Oasis turns to Noel’s ‘Masterplan’. Rock ‘n’ roll isn’t here to reinvent the wheel, it is, however, a great tool to reignite old flames as Oasis did so well with Slade and T-Rex on ‘Definitely Maybe’. Blessed with sumptuous guitars and big key changes, they tap into Gallagher’s penchant to unite big crowds with even bigger universal sonic.

Former single ‘Only Just Begun’ steps back into a hazier realm. As weightless as ‘Twistarella’ and freeing as Shambolics’ ‘Dreams, Schemes, & Young Teams’, they’ve conjured images of ‘Sally Cinnamon’ flirting with The La’s and DMA’s. Vocally, the band has stepped up with harmonies enhancing what was, already a rich sound. As Brown decrees “I don’t want to be that guy”, he emits a level of emotion not seen by him before. His soul, for a fleeting moment, is left exposed and vulnerable. This level of openness and generosity of feeling is so often wrapped up in angst and rage. Brown and co have encased it with lysergic licks of love which breed hope and togetherness.

EP closer ‘Lost and Found’ finds a sweet spot between DMAs and Oasis. It allows for their sun-kissed instincts to connect with the raw pop-rock power of ‘What’s The Story…’. Lennon Hall’s power chords give this an urgent, almost desperate quality that Owen Morris’ reckless soul would surely smile through studio glass at. Hall’s rhythm is met by Labrum’s innate ability to stand on the shoulders of guitar giants. As carefree as The View’s debut he unleashes a sprawling melody that Lee Mavers and John Squires will marvel at.  

Indebted too much to the past? Possibly. There is so much joy and emotion emanating from this EP it’s near impossible not to be enamoured with it. Always pastiche, never parody, Marseille can fly the flag of their heroes with pride.

Marseille – Thinker

Derby’s Marseille release ‘Thinker’ on 17th March. It is the third single from their upcoming debut EP ‘Freedom’.

Artwork by Karl Shaw

‘Thinker’ was originally written by frontman Will Brown when he was 13 and then discarded but, guitarist Joe Labram fell in love with it and brought it back into the fold. Despite Brown’s age at the time of conception, the song is constructed around the things we say to ourselves after loved ones have passed.

Musically, the track is heavily indebted to Oasis B-side classic ‘Masterplan’ in the early stages. Through the pain and anguish Brown delivers vocally, those thoughts of Oasis yesteryear do begin to fade slightly. It’s an astonishing level of skill for an 18-year-old to deposit vocally, backed by Labrams sublime guitars, you’d be forgiven this was men in their 40s reflecting upon a life lived, not just starting out.

The key changes and strings illuminate Brown’s heartfelt ode to those lost. Similar to Noel, Marseille are unafraid to enhance big key changes with spine-tingling strings; a skill that will inevitably carry them to big stages sooner rather than later.

The naysayers will inevitably come at this record. “it’s just Oasis”. The same bores wrote off Oasis in 1994 for emulating the Beatles and T-Rex didn’t get it then, and they won’t get it now. Marseille writes rock ‘n’ roll classics with poetry that drags the ordinary person from a state of existence to one of living!

*banner image courtesy of Paul Dixon

Click the image below for tickets to their current tour:

Marseille – Only Just Begun

Derby’s Marseille put down two massive markers at the end of 2022. Firstly, their last single ‘Freedom’. A roaring Oasis-inspired anthem that demanded attention. The second was an intimate gig at London’s The Slaughtered Lamb (full review here). Small in size, huge in stature, Marseille went from pack runners to leaders.

A week today they release their new single ‘Only Just Begun’. It is to be taken from the upcoming EP featuring the aforementioned ‘Freedom’ and will be released via Away Day Records.

Where ‘Freedom’ tapped into the hissing fever of Rolla and Owen Morris’ wall of noise and confusion, ‘Only Just Begun’ steps back into a hazier realm. As weightless as ‘Twistarella’ and freeing as Shambolics’ ‘Dreams, Schemes, & Young Teams’, they’ve conjured images of ‘Sally Cinnamon’ flirting with The La’s and DMA’s.

Vocally, the band has stepped up to another level with harmonies enhancing what was, already a rich sound. Frontman Will Brown’s vocal gives the record the mid-60s beat classic sonic to such great effect, elder record collectors will be double checking their copy of ‘Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968’ to see if it’s there.

As Brown decrees “I don’t want to be that guy”, he emits a level of emotion not seen by him before. His soul, for a fleeting moment, is left exposed and vulnerable. This level of openness and generosity of feeling is so often wrapped up in angst and rage. Brown and co have encased it with lysergic licks of love to echo down eternity.

What Brighton’s Lacuna Bloome ignited five years ago Marseille have enflamed with a poetic beauty unrivalled. Their debut EP is set for release this April and inevitably will change guitar music for the better.

*Image courtesy of Paul Dixon

Click the image for tickets to their upcoming tour:

Gazelle – Arcadia

Leicester’s Gazelle are back for one last single release of 2022 with ‘Arcadia’. It follows the fine ‘Violet Hour Blues’ released in October and last night, they played their biggest gig to date at Leicester’s o2 Academy.

‘Arcadia’ blasts its way out of the traps to light up England’s finest to the sound of The Horrors’ decadent fairground keys circa ‘Primary Colours’. Although they’ve stepped away from their love of Motown here, its influence looms large still. The verses could be choruses and vice-versa as they motor their way to melodic euphoria.

The stomping breakdown brings those heady rock ‘n’ roll moments of Kasabian on ‘Empire’ and ‘West Pauper Lunatic Asylum’ to the fore. They build to a debauched chaotic climax where violence loiters at every turn to provide an utterly exhilarating rush.

2022’s run of singles from Gazelle have seen them shake off the ‘just another indie band’ tag. ‘Magic Carpet Ride’ brought their love of soul and Motown alive and ‘Violet Hour Blues’ demoed their crowd-uniting ability. Furthermore, in ‘Clementine’ and ‘Arcadia’, they’ve added depth and intelligence to the early singles which now, has to see them eclipse the success of The Reytons and The Rahs.

Marseille: Slaughtered Lamb, London

Derby’s Marseille made the trip down to London this Tuesday to The Slaughtered Lamb. After the buzz of their latest single ‘Freedom’, they came with hefty expectations. Could they live up to them?

Tom Spray’s cascading drums and Felix Moxey’s divine bassline on ‘Freedom’ gave them a great protected intro and a set opener for life. The whiff of something special hovered enticingly in the air and was duly met by guitarist Joe Labram.

The transition between ‘Shout It Loud’ and the next single ‘Monkey In The Middle’ awoke something not seen in the UK since Oasis, Ocean Colour Scene and The Roses ruled the airwaves. Spiralling psychedelia bore its way to the sun from the London basement. The intimate crowd looked on in utter bewilderment, did that just happen? You bet your life it did!!!

Anyone left wondering if it was a fluke was duly pummelled into submission on set closer ‘State Of Mind’. What began as an angelic homage to the C86 movement descended into rock ‘n’ roll devilment of the highest order. The kind that will see promoters look for something bigger than Knebworth.

Labram’s playing is utterly magnetic. For ten minutes he went from Squire to Bell to early Noel waving at them from on high. At recent Ride shows, Andy Bell has discovered the form of his life, Labram just rendered him redundant with his spellbinding psyche.

The scary thing about Marseille is, you feel the penny-drop moment hasn’t happened for them yet. This level of brilliance is emanating from a position of creative exploration. Their time, their sound still feels on the horizon, the beauty is, their horizon looks down upon almost everyone else ensuring greatness is coming to save us all from the grey decaying landscapes we reside in.

Marseille – Freedom

This Friday on ADR Records, Derby’s Marseille release their new single ‘Freedom’. In 2022, Marseille have dropped the angelic ‘Forget It All’, and the trippy ‘The Jungle’ which was followed up with a fine remix from Vega Rally. Can they keep the momentum going?

From the off their newfound five-piece status is reflected in the enthralling and debauched sonic. Tom Spray’s drumming begins with Tony McCarroll’s rawness before metamorphosing into the flair of Gaz Whelan and Reni.

Through frontman Will Brown, there is a window through which mortals can peer into the band’s soul. Offering his best vocal to date, he hovers above the siren-like guitars like the pied piper of noise and confusion.

Lyrically, they’ve condensed the spirit of The Enemy’s debut album into five minutes of ‘Definitely Maybe’ meets ‘Stone Roses’ escapism. Written about their home city of Derby, they encapsulate large pockets of the UK who used to feel but now know they’re left behind. For those old enough, they will be flung back to a time when we had libraries, leisure centres, and sure start centres. We had hope!

For The Enemy, they arrived just in time to get paid. What have the music industry or any creative industry for that matter offered the working classes since 2010? A gormless reality tv no mark perhaps. Thank the heavens for guitars here. They drag the baggy-mod vibes of ‘Some Friendly’ and ‘Between 10th and 11th’ the precipice of the Roses and Oasis’ escapist majesty.

Soul-enriching, life-affirming, poetic brilliance!

‘Freedom’ is nothing short of a triumph of the human spirit. 12 years spent racing to the bottom, where Spotify throws pennies at your face and expects you to like it, Marseille have emerged with the finest rock ‘n’ roll song of 2022.

*Image courtesy of Paul Dixon

Marseille – The Jungle

Derby’s Marseille have been on a hell of a run in 2022. Debuting at the Isle of Wight festival and playing Pride Park to name a few landmarks. Last week they returned with their new single ‘The Jungle’, out now on all platforms via Away Day Records.

Artwork courtesy of Karl Shaw - https://www.silverbirchcreative.com/

The day of release was one of celebration for the band but, for music lovers, the tragic loss of Paul Ryder was tough to take. A week on and, the loss still stings but, ‘The Jungle’ has served as a timely eulogy for the Mondays’ funk master. The new single locks in a Ryder and Mani-esque killer bassline and builds a baggy classic around it. Once it combines with the funk and flair of Mark Day’s guitars, the tribute is complete!

Coincidence aside, this is a single of unswerving talent and ambition. ‘Fools Gold’ it is not but, the spirit of the Roses looms large. A steep trajectory awaits and evidently they have the skill to get there.

Today marks the anniversary of the Hammond genius of Rob Collins. Marseille have celebrated the present with a nods to Manchester’s baggy past. Meanwhile, there’s a cloud with Ryder, Collins, and Liam Maher having it to ‘The Jungle’.

*Image courtesy of Jason Bridges.

Marseille – Might As Well Be Mine

Derby’s Marseille returned last Friday with their debut EP. It centers around their new single ‘Might As Well Be Mine’ written by their frontman Will Brown and produced by James Singleton. It also features the previously released ‘Forget It All’ and ‘She Knows Her Place’ from our New Band Spotlight section.

Artwork courtesy of Karl Shaw

As with ‘She Knows Her Place’, ‘Might As Well Be Mine’ taps into the heady party spirit of Oasis’ ‘What’s The Story…’ era with its ‘Step Out’ vibrancy and ‘Round Are Way’ debauched party vibes. The raucous rock ‘n’ roll celebration culminates in the scintillating guitar part. It fizzes with the early excess of Steve Craddock and others and drags the beauty of Lee Mavers towards the punky psychedelia of Noel’s early live work.

Despite the hedonist sonic, they eloquently conjure images of the fallen rock star who wants to recapture their humble beginnings. In these stark financial times, it’s a protagonist few would tolerate in public life. However, it’s hard not to fall in love with the character’s spirit. To go on the journey again from nothing, from youth to working-class triumph is a choice few mortals would ever turn down.

Marseille not only have the escapist rock ‘n’ roll to take them on their journey, but they also have the intellect to do it with a uniquely creative perspective. They are taking Weller and Davies’ fully formed characters’ narratives to the full-throttled nature of Oasis and it’s a joy to behold.

*Image courtesy of Jason Bridges.