Worcester Music Forum

Marina Del Ray, Mount Pleasant Hotel, Malvern

There are other attractions in and around town tonight but this is the coolest place to be. Worcesters Marina Del Ray have only travelled up the road but they have something which belies their local band plays local gig billing. Drawing on the disparate strands of an American West Coast sound and English lyrical flair they sound something special from the outset. Company Car is rich with hooks, and Cab Driver has a snappy chord progression and a tale which owes much to folk music this side of the pondvery, very clever.

They almost but quite wear their musical influences on their sleevesthe electric piano is very cool in a Stevie Winwood vein, the electric guitar is spike laden and melodic and the two tumble over each other in harmonies and countermelodies. Sweetly played, young gentlemen! Wild Man is a key song in its loose structure and immaculately tight execution during which the band show off and smile as they do so. A few verses of the story precede a particularly funky maracas and guitar middle sectionagain the execution is exemplary, the impact incisive. Conjured out of nowhere or the guitarists backpocket ... is the harmonica which grabs the spotlight and causes dust to fall from the ceiling. Frankly, Mr Shankly, it is bloody terrific and the band are joined at this juncture by a dancer who may be Mick Jaggers brother from 1968. Maybe there is something of the Stones about them, I muse at this point. Kinda compulsive, and kinda groovy.

And the very thing that makes them stand outis this powerful blend of the backward looking range of influences and the absolutely modern reinterpretation thereof! Marina Del Ray...a Californian town, so it seems.are not the least cynical in their utterly slick presentation. Several songs appear to be joined at the hip, spliced together with love and played with real verve: they clearly love what theyre doing and even the concluding version of Venus complete with a nicely controlled jazzy middle eight - is performed as if it was their own property. No mean feat.

A special performance and a very special band who just happen to be local. Thank heavens for that. Just excellent, Marina Del Ray.

Nick
(nicedog@hotmail.co.uk )