Track Review: It’s Always Our O’Clock Somewhere // MARBL
Led by singer-songwriter Moria Or, MARBL combines elements of folk, indie and pop to create their evocative sound. Sharing their music since 2015, or at least that’s when they began streaming via Spotify, MARBL has gained a reputation for engaging lyrics and harmonic melodies. Featured on Clash, Higher Plain, Lefuturewave, Chalkpit Records, Kultur Port and YMX, the group has been turning heads on an international level. The latest addition to their discography is the single ‘It’s Always Our O’clock Somewhere’.
Soothing and serene, MARBL adopts a charming acoustic-inspired folk sound on ‘It’s Always Our O’clock Somewhere’. Beautiful in its simplicity, the basic guitar and vocals melody captures your heart and builds a hazy ambience. No, I regress, it is not necessarily a hazy ambience but a languid swirl of sound. The persistent guitar contributes to the Joan Baez-esque sound, but it is the interspersed piano that places MARBL’s innovative stamp on the song.
The smooth instrumentation effortlessly carries Maria Or’s moving vocals. While the dulcet vocals have a hushed tone, it is this muted sound that enhances the intimacy of the single. Using a personal narrative, MARBL creates a connection between the listener and the band. Yet, while the song has a calming melodic effect, the wistful impact aligns brilliantly with the heartfelt concept.
“I wrote this song right after a breakup. At first I tried not to write, it was too fresh and too painful. After not touching the piano for a few days, I picked up the guitar which I had only started learning as an instrument three months earlier. The music and the lyrics gushed out of me with such force that I couldn’t resist. It was like first aid for my heart. The song is about this feeling of leaving a part of you behind while your common sense doesn’t understand the language of the heart and you can’t feel relieved because of it.” – MARBL on ‘It’s Always Our O’clock Somewhere’
Touching on the issues of heartbreak, anxiety, hopelessness and isolation, ‘It’s Always Our O’clock Somewhere’ is a sonic representation of the gut-wrenching feeling associated with difficult breakups. There is a sense of innocence in the poetic lyricism, but Maria’s voice increases the dull pain lying beneath the surface. It’s heartbreaking and sends chills down your spine, but I still have this song on repeat.