Stone Marigold - &

Stone Marigold

&
self-released; 2015

3.1 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

James Domizio (guitar, bass, vocals) and Dean Domizio (drums) make up the duo Stone Marigold. They have been releasing a steady stream of music on their Bandcamp page with one of their most recent being &. The band’s album is completely DIY and the sound quality is about that of a demo and is far from sounding like a polished product. They said they didn’t use any compressors on these recordings but the reality is the songs were in dire need of it. The vocals go from too loud to barely audible but the most offending times are when they go from soft sounding verses to loud sounding choruses.

At this point the music has no defining qualities that make it distinguishable. It’s very generic sounding alternative rock that is forgettable the moment it’s over. That being said some of the material has moments of inspiration and the songwriting is decent.

The EP starts with “.tonedeaf” which needed some kind of focal center to keep you engaged, like a vocal line. The power chords and simplistic bass and drums don’t quite cut it. The band has more success with the second track “For Me.” Domizio finds a good range for his voice and sounds good on the track. The track slowly trudges along with a decent guitar line and steady beat. Unfortunately, between the  subpar recording quality and overall vibe the song has a lethargic energy.

The next song “This is Not A Drill” is the song that desperately needs compression or volume automation. It’s not a bad song but it is basically unlistenable because of the discrepancy between the verse and chorus. I literally leaped out of my chair when the chorus hit. The band finds some minor success with the Weezer-esque “Right Where You Left Me” and “Something Else.”

Stone Marigold has their work cut out for them if they hope to catch some fans. The recording quality will have to improve and they are going to have to dig a bit deeper to find some qualities that make the band stand out.

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