Album Review: Ski Lodge ‘Big Heart’
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As Thom Yorke once famously proclaimed, “anyone can play guitar.” Nowadays, with music technology being what it is, it seems like any one individual can be a whole band. But to be a decent one-man show is another ballgame altogether. Brooklyn-based Ski Lodge has stepped up to bat, and, in our humble opinion, hits it out of the park with the debut Big Heart.
The man behind the mask, Andrew Marr, croons with the sweet melancholy of Morrissey. The music is rich, and alternates between a lovely swell and a peppy 4/4 time. We are reminded of The Raveonettes style: caliginous lyrics encased in an upbeat oldies pop.
According to Marr’s website bio, he crafted every ounce of the record; melodies, lyrics, sound samples – the whole bit – on his own. Crazy to think about once you give it a listen. The sole exception to this workmanship would be Ski Lodge’s single “Just To Be Like You,” which he recorded with a full band in Upstate New York, with producer Kevin McMahon (Walkmen, Real Estate).
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[Photo: Prefixmag.com]“I try to write songs honestly, and a lot of the things going on in my head that I struggle with might be deemed ‘dark,’ but I don’t think that means I can’t sing about them in a way that is musically upbeat or poppy,” Marr says.
No tour dates on the horizon, but we suspect that’s only a matter of time. Big Hearts is out now on Dovecoat Records.
Marr also did a studio session with his ensemble for Brooklyn Vegan earlier this year. Check it out below.
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