Brah Records, 2007
Nurse and Soldier are no cutesy-wootsy husband and wife rock band, writing precious little songs about their precious little love for each other. Well, not really; there’s not much room for cute shit. After all, the husband, Bobby Matador, plays organ for the wall of freak-out that is Oneida.
Bobby and Rockie Matador (not their real names, mind you) have known each other since high school, and rumor has it, went to Oberlin together in the late 90’s. They put out a 7” in 1999 and sold it on Oneida’s first cross-country tour. They convinced me to buy it, and I was a little disappointed; it was cute, and I just wanted some rock.
All this is being recounted not to inflate my ego and confirm the popular belief that I have always been smart and cool, but to inform you of the change that the band’s sound has undergone. Whereas before their sound was a softer sound, rebelling against Oneida, now they are a loud, artful side of Oneida.
Enough talk about a band that I’m not reviewing though, Nurse and Soldier’s /Marginalia/ stands up strongly on its own. The opener “Green Tea” confuses the listener a little. It’s not a catchy number, but the atmosphere it strikes is appropriate. The album slowly builds across the first few songs and by “In the Dark” Rockie sings swiftly and sexily through thick effects over a twisted church organ.
Rockie’s voice reminds me of what Kelley Deal might sound like with less attitude, but when she tries to add some gusto to her voice, like on the album closer “Her Higher Education,” it just sounds melodramatic and fails to really have any impact. It’s obvious that the vocals are not the focus of the album, though. The organs are everywhere, and they create a relaxed psychedelic atmosphere on almost every track. The songs drift from post-rock to shoegaze territory fairly effortlessly, but the band isn’t just lifting riffs and effects. Songs like “North of Baltimore” and “Fishing” create a lot of mood that others attempt but fail at.
Combining the best of Kelley Deal and Slowdive is “Imaginary Friend,” my favorite track. A super-echoey guitar line covers up a layer of organ feedback that, if turned up, would’ve turned this song into a My Bloody Valentine masterpiece. But if they would’ve done that, you would have missed Rockie’s bittersweet story and it’s sultry delivery.
It’s not all about Rockie’s vocals, though. “Wrong” shows off Bobby’s surprisingly intimate and affected vocals, a side not often heard in Oneida. “Satellightning” blends the couples vocals to create a gorgeous Nightswiming-esque song.
But, why, oh why Nurse and Soldier, did you put “Her Higher Education” at the end of this album? Listening to this song by itself is not so bad, but against the solid first 13 tracks, it seems out of place and a little forced. The horns are an especially nice addition, but Rockie’s vocals are a little grating. Or maybe it’s the cheeseball lyrics. I can’t really tell.
All in all, /Marginalia/ is a sweet collection of what might be love songs from a husband and wife team. A little on edge, a little noisy, but always grounded in pleasant and psychedelic romanticism.
-Brandon Miller
Posted under Hometown
This post was written by Denny on January 25, 2007
