For the better part of a decade, Magik Markers have thrashed their way through the noise-rock underworld and have become one of the most recognizable groups of the subgenre. The duo returns May 5 with its latest album, Balf Quarry. As with any experimental art form, there are hits and misses, and the album reflects this. The songs range from beautiful to nauseating, creating a mediocre record.
The first three tracks are average at best, highlighted only by Pete Nolan’s superb drumming — the one constant on the album. “Jerks” distinguishes itself in this triplet as the hardest rock effort on the album, but the deviation is not a positive one. All three set the overall tone with melancholy lyrics and avant-garde styling.
The next five tracks on the album range from clunkers to truly awful. The first is the abstract and mundane “Psychosomatic,” which suffers from a tedious atonality. “7/23” is lyrically beautiful but played in such a depressed manner and sung so poorly that the songwriting is all for nothing.
“State Numbers” and “The Ricercar of Dr. Clara Haber” are the next two tracks of the quintet from hell. The former is sung painfully slow. It feels like attending a horrific poetry recital. The song drags on for nearly six minutes and begins to feel like a chore. “Ricercar” is the only instrumental track and provides listeners with an opportunity to take Tylenol for their impending headache.
The odyssey is finally over with “The Lighter Side of … Hippies.” Like so many of the songs on the album, the artistry of the lyrics is better through the liner notes. Interesting lines such as “You had a revolution in your head/ Too bad you couldn’t make it out of bed/ Cokeheads sang, ‘Teach your children well’/ And wonder now how it all went to hell,” are sung at such a breakneck pace that they are hardly discernable.
Thankfully, the duo saves its best for the final two tracks. “Ohio R./Live/Hoosier” is easily the strongest cut. This track features the smoothest guitar, the best drumming and the most instruments. The addition of a bass, extra guitar and an organ creates a fuller sound, along with the album’s best vocals. Elisa comes close to ditching her nasally tone and achieving a stronger vocal presence.
The final track, “Shells,” is as good as “Ohio” despite the two tracks’ polar opposition. “Shells” is the most stripped-down song on the album, featuring only vocals and a few instruments mixed so low they are barely audible. A session musician plays a violin that provides an eerie tone. Although beautiful, the part manages to match the moroseness throughout the album, keeping the motif intact. For the bulk of the 11 minutes it is simply lyrics and piano, a pleasant deviation from the norm of the album. Although restrained, the musical exploration that is a foundation of noise rock is bubbling just below the surface on both of these songs.
Balf Quarry amazingly marks the 30th studio album or EP by Magik Markers. With so much accomplished already, it is understandable their musical experimentation has reached a limit. Six out of 10 tracks on the duo’s latest album range from migraine-inducing to repugnant, but two of the other four are so strong they create hope in a stronger future album. They also help propel this effort to an average mark. Considering how bad some of the songs are, mediocrity is truly a remarkable achievement.
2 stars out of 5
