Album Details

• Artist: Denison Marrs
• Album: Denison Marrs
• Label: Floodgate
• Year of Release: 2004
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: hstisgod on 2007-06-27

First off let me apologize to Eric, Daniel, Joseph, Dean and Lakeland, Florida for my serious oversight.  I'lll explain in a second...

         Short strokes of distorted lead guitars stare out at the beginning.  But is this really the beginning?  Some might believe yes, as Denison Marrs seems to have that contagious, sultry alternative rock sound.  For their second release, in 2004 DM released a full length self-titled album that oozes with tempo and slick indie production. 

 Lead track Disappear will have you immediately singing their praises, but at the same time thinking has Jimmy Gnecco started another band with one and done Californians Hometown Hero.  Well that's what I was thinking when I first heard this CD almost two years ago.  Then it got mixed in the enormous box of 'to do's', not to be found again until today -or the date of this album review anyway-.  If you really want to get to the funk and rock these guys are capable of, skip to my favorite, track Last Hope.  With no regard for predictable start loud and proud, this song starts with a high key guitar lead, and lead singer Eric Collins parades around this song vocally with a respectable note or two himself.  He'd have to drawing comparisons to Jimmy Gnecco, though let's hope his personality is a bit more memorable. 

    To choose a top three is difficult in the first 10 listens -no matter how many years apart those listens are- the whole record has an upbeat cutting rhythm that doesnt ever take more than a temporary rest.  It's not real technical stuff, like Power Pop Punk flavored track The Right Time, which has that technical Emo feel.  You know the whole purpose to the wince inducing term, bridges of roller coaster chord progression, whether it be soft pedaled effects, or the stop and start explosive energy just before the chorus that folds like some ordinary Alt/Rock song.

  So yea, prophecy fulfilled in just under three years since they sent me their disc.  Once again my apologies of not living out the music critique's unspoken oath.  Truth is, yea, this album is a bit bland, even for 2004.  But it's certainly a nice groove, and worth every indie cent. 

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