While Marah used to specialize in lesser copies of Bruce Springsteen’s epic melodramas, volatile Philly bros David and Serge Bielanko have mostly stopped imitating the Boss on the band’s seventh album. Unfortunately, they’re still hooked on excess, spewing apocalyptic images of “red-hot hail” on the bluesy “Coughing Up Blood” and saddling promising tunes like “Wild West Love Song” with absurdly overblown arrangements. The subdued exception “Blue but Cool” aside, the pretentious poetry and overwrought riffing induce numbness, not transcendence. The Bielankos would impress more if they seemed less desperate.
Now Hear This:Marah – “Angels of Destruction!” STREAMING MP3
