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Album Details

• Artist: Marah
• Album: 20,000 Streets Under the Sky
• Label: Yep Roc
• Year of Release: 2004
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: dscanland on 2004-10-20

Marah is up for album number four and they have changed their direction yet again. on 20,000 Streets Under The Sky they take elements from all three of their previous albums, including the ill-received Float Away With The Friday Night Gods that was recorded with Owen Morris, and pop them all onto one album. Best thing about Marah is the similarity between Dave Bielanko's and Taime Downe's (Faster Pussycat) voice. The music isn't all that similar but if you threw these guys up in a karaoke contest singing each other's material, you might be hard-pressed to figure out who was who. Anyway, 20,000 is the true sound of Marah finally figuring out what they want to sound like. There are roots elements on this album but there is also some of the glam sounds that were introduced on Float Away. The album opens up with "East", a track that could have been plucked from Kids In Philly. Then Marah ease us into "Freedom Park", one that could have been a Float Away out-take. "Pizzeria" sounds like it might even be one of Elvis Costello's more rambunctious songs. These guys catch flak all the time for using Bruce Springsteen as influence but they are both from Philadelphia and you could do worse than Bruce as a role model. The album ends off with the title track which is a very mature instrumental hinting that even greater things may come in the future. Give Marah a few listens and you will warm up to it, pretty much guaranteed. These guys are great pop songwriters.

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