Charlie Marie – Charlie Marie
Old school twang meets contemporary alternative country crooning in Charlie Marie’s all-new, self-titled EP, which is set to be released this coming May 3rd following its first single “Rhinestones” on April 19th. Featuring a couple of blustery ballads and a few swing beat-driven tunes that are certain to make even the most devoted of wallflowers want to pick up and hit the dancefloor, this extended play fleshes out some of the understated Americana-based nuances in Marie’s sound, and further exploits her wondrously strong melodicism for everything that it’s worth.
She brings the chills in “Shot in the Dark,” the tonality in “Rodeo,” and the rhythm in “Countryside,” and if you’ve never heard of her prior to examining this release, forgetting her name afterwards won’t be an easy task.
The spinning sway of “Playboy” rivals only the churn of “Rhinestones,” which starts off the EP on an ominous note only to clear some room for “Rodeo” to come careening into the fold on the whim of a folkie melody.
Where “Rhinestones” is structured exclusively around the vocal, “Playboy” is a little more balanced and even, splitting the spotlight equally between the brooding string arrangement in the background and the velvety vocal track up front.
There’s never any doubt as to who the star of the show is here, but with that said, there’s plenty of charm in Marie’s backing band, which ably follows her commanding lead without ever stealing her thunder. “Shot in the Dark” is another prime example of their immense chemistry.
Lyrics are only telling us half the story in “Countryside” and “Shot in the Dark,” with the textures in the music doing as much to impart an emotionality to us as the verses are.
The intricacies in the instrumentation are brought to life through this well-defined master mix, and though some of the tracks – namely “Rhinestones” and “Rodeo” – are more streamlined than others, there really isn’t a song here that isn’t studded with some frilly features that were added from behind the soundboard. It’s not as stripped-down as I would’ve liked to hear her, but Charlie Marie’s new self-titled effort is a gripping listen just the same, and inarguably just as packed with substance and legitimately engaging content as her debut release was.
Fans of supple country melodies would be wise to check out this EP this May as spring reaches its cumulative climax, as well as the first sneak peak of its material on the 19th in the debut single “Rhinestones.” Charlie Marie is a long way away from dominating the top slots on the Billboard Country charts, but she turns in a very intriguing disc in this latest release that is more than juicy enough to convince me that she’s headed in the right direction creatively.
Her career is developing before our very eyes, and while there are plenty of interesting country artists and singer/songwriters around the States making good music at the moment, I think listeners would be robbing themselves of a unique opportunity if they were to pass on Charlie Marie this season. She’s got unteachable talent, and I can’t wait to hear where it takes her next.
If you enjoyed a preview from Charlie Marie’s upcoming self-titled EP, check out her official website by clicking here. Give her a like on Facebook by clicking here & a follow on Twitter by clicking here.
