Marriage – “Pool Blunt” – [Monofonus Press]

Thurston Hunger   12/3/2015   12-inch, A Library

Marriage “Pool Blunt” 33 rpm
Pretty sure I was given this album based upon one track’s
title, and sadly I do not think it was for “Taco Bells
Canyon.” Marriage is a complicated thing, but in this
case it’s simply five bearded Texans (some number of which
were surely former college DJ’s in a previous lowlife).
I think you could throw this on between Spray Paint
and Borbetomagus and the ends would line up. It’s got
some of that chicken plucking guitar but also the
free jazz sprawled across rock style that make this
nation great. Well parts of Austin and sections of
the KFJC library at least. The band might prefer to
be squeezed between Burmese and Sonny Sharrock, or
a different Sonny altogether (the album is a nod to
Sun Ra.) The music is guitar furious, athletic drums
(hi-hat hyperventilating), sax can squeal in and
lyrics are shouted beneath the fray. I wonder if
the songs were all recorded in one-take per side, it
feels like the band charges through them, no clean
breaks…but despite the distorted din, pretty
clean and profficient playing throughout. A well
calculated cataclysm! The first side has some punkier
driven moments, again all songs track, so getting in
and out is kinda of like jumping off a train. But
then again a full side-long express is worth the trip
down the aisle…um….I mean groove!
Bet these guys tear it up live. -Thurston Hunger