MARMOSET – Tea Tornado

Oftentimes in the realm of independent music, an artist or album comes around and banks on the idea of a gimmick rooted in simplicity and familiarity. A poet recites dark drab stories of love lost, drunken highs, and drugged lows while the band plays loosely along. Songs full of silly childish lyrics are only regarded as “cute” by adoring female fans.

This is pretty much the end result of Marmoset’s newest album Tea Tornado. Their sound can only be described as an attempt to capture the lo-fi post-punk garage sound that’s already been done a million times over. Tracks like “Hallway” catch the band attempting at a pop-psychedelic vibe, but cuts like “”I Love My Things” and “Written Today” are built around repetitive juvenile lyrics based on a garage rock beat. As someone who is new to Marmoset, this album does nothing for me in the way of bringing any excitement of a new musical discovery.

(Joyful Noise Recordings, PO Box 20109 Indianapolis, IN 46220)