Artist: Marla Mase
Album Title: Half Life
Album Reviewer: Dale Y the Green Guy
Rating:
First of all, what’s not to like about Marla Mase? She been featured on Huffington Post, was invited to perform in China for the U.N. Global Peace day, was awarded an honorary “Messenger of Peace” by the friends of the United Nations as a visionary artist and performer, and she has a host of other accolades as well. With all that going for her, newest EP should also bring out some well received reviews as well.
In Half Life, Marla goes deep into her own feelings, fears and observations, and for the most part, she hits the nail on the head. Although I don’t like to compare album styles, you can hear influences from Frank Zappa, Blondie, a little Jethro Tull and some old fashioned funk. This diversity is what keeps the EP interesting on all levels, and as each song ends, you can’t wait for the next tune to start playing.
The first song, Drown in Blue, is electric and running as soon as its feet hit the ground, and the guitars of both Tomás Doncker and James Dellatacoma keep this one on the fast track. Things The Scare Me speaks to all of our insecurities and fears, and Bitch in Heat nails the male perspective of a jaded view of what some women are like.
If you are looking for a couple of pop-sounding songs, check out both Half Life and Gaping Hole. Half Life has a jazzy drum beat while the lyrics work on the promise that “nothing lasts forever.” A good song with a neat beat.
Gaping Hole has an addictive guitar riff that suits the lyrics perfectly, and Marla delivers the lines in a pop style melody as well as anyone, even though this really isn’t a pop song. But it’s good and catchy and one of the best songs on the EP.
Marla brings it all together with the last song on the EP, Hold Fast Your Dreams. When she says to “hold fast your dreams…let hope and magic work for you,” you know that it comes from her heart, exactly where the rest of this EP came from, and that pretty much says it all right there.