ZapTown

Marching Band
Spark Large
U&L Recordings
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Link:
Marching Band on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/marchingband
U&L Recordings: http://www.urbandlazar.com/index.php
Purchase on IndieRocket: http://indierocket.net/Bundles/view/cffc301e-852b-4719-ab4f-e68515202202

With a name like Marching Band, I was all pumped to hear something high energy maybe with a lot of drums or just with a lot of gusto. And then I put on “For Your Love.” The flaccid feeling I got when the soft harmonies and piano whittled down the song and the anticipation that this would be something big. The band sings “We got a long way to go until Midnight…boredom is very real…for your love.” What?

This is XTC singing “Row Your Boat,” Beta Band who listened to nothing but Seals and Croft, Futureheads who liked Cat Stevens instead of Wire.

I attributed it to shock, so I walked away. When I came back, it confirmed my realities and the bizarreness of this band with their excessive vocal roundabouts. But then I started thinking about things like R.E.M.’s “Begin The Begin” and the thought that goes into understanding a song like that.

Lets forget all the hoopla and contributions this band has made in association with the album: from films Zombieland and Nick And Norah’s Infinite Playlist to TV episodes from shows like How I Met Your Mother and Scrubs. What matters is that things clicked in the last minute of “Gorgeous Behavior” when the band just keeps layering one thing on top of the other with a loosely (and I mean loosely) African guitar sound behind it all. This isn’t a case of bizzareness, this is a case of eclecticism within the pop paradigm that is fascinating me more than turning me off.

The gorgeous melodies of “Feel Good About It” is meditative and gives you the same feeling when you plug in Sea and Cake or Kings Of Convenience through your earplugs. And I would be happy if this album just contained “Make No Plans” over and over again. It’s a song that should be included in anyone’s “Welcome Back Spring, We Missed You” compilation. There are reasons why bands like Aztec Camera keep holding our attention for all of these years.

I would be lying if I did not say that there are things that rub me wrong. Chalk it up to an expectation of instant gratification or the cheekiness of a song like “Make Up Artist” or the excessive cuddly “Special Treatment.” And for me, “I Could Never” ends the album on a high note, not the three songs that come after it. I would be a liar if I didn’t say that there are some really great songs on Spark Large. They stick in your head, only making you want more of that feeling from this band.