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TIME OFF Magazine ALBUM OF THE WEEK Sept 10 2008
BORROWED EARS, BORROWED EYES

"Rock is an amorphous beast that is so many things to so many people that it’s hard to ascertain what it is that makes it so captivating and what makes the sound that belongs in the stadium any different from what resides in basements across the land.

The above conundrum is a small part of the equation with this Brisbane three-piece, this debut album leaving an instantaneous impression of cavernous arenas filled with the soaring melodies and cathartic releases of rage washing over masses of people. And why? Because these 11 songs are completely flawless! That’s right, there’s not one note that shouldn’t be there or one chorus that won’t rouse you inside - every song on Borrowed Ears, Borrowed Eyes is perfect! And again, that’s what makes this recorded document different from the live experience, for whilst the songs are immaculate and the sharp-dressed individuals on time every time, there’s grit on stage that’s missing from this album. It’s beautiful rock music with its fingernails kept clean and, while strange at first, there’s every chance that same grit would probably detract were it present here. This is music that could not only stand side-to-side with that of bands like the Foo Fighters, but easily betters the last 10 years of their recorded career. The unique caterwauling of singer/guitarist Skritch is both compelling and convincing - the impassioned screams in ‘Jump Like You Wanted To’ is like a triple-hook into your ear, while the explosive guitar throughout ‘Grand Central’ is dam-busting and Tanzie’s bass sucks ‘Molasses’ straight down into Kyuss territory.

There’s some strange and awesome shadows cast by songs such as ‘Ugly Song’, with its frenzied and distorted Nirvana-esque mood or the repressed beauty of ‘Eating Through The Debauchery’, but ultimately an album brimming with this much confidence and skill can hardly be believed to be a debut."

4 1/2 stars


DRUM MEDIA, Sydney. July 2006:

"Another testament, if any more were needed, to the tenacious flexibility and power of the rock trio (no, Mary is not a solo act, but a band) as a vehicle for any songwriter with the wit and tensile melodic sensibility to master it. Skritch, who has been seen around town in his other guise as one of Tex Perkins' Dark Horses, has obviously done just that, ably abetted by Intercooler drummer Damon Cox, who has a broad enough vocabulary to keep things rhythmically interesting under Skritch's power chord guitar chunking and Duey Coert's sinewy bass lines. Edgy vocals, intelligent use of harmonies and enough melody to keep it all hanging on; this is seriously good."

TIME OFF Magazine, Brisbane. August 2006:

"This debut mini-album by local trio Mary Trembles was recorded before the band had even played a gig, but is nonetheless a fine introduction to an extremely talented outfit. Frontman Skritch has played a variety of roles in the past with such luminaries as Tex Perkins Dark Horses and the much-missed Gota Cola, but in Mary Trembles he takes the reins and handles guitar, vocal and songwriting duties with aplomb.

The rhythm section of drummer Damon Cox (Intercooler) and Duey Coert on bass combine together wonderfully, giving Skritch a propulsive bed on which to lay down his edgy tales of despair and redemption. Opening tunes Scene From Below and Not My Fault bury themselves in your brain and refuse to leave, their catchy melodies and memorable riffs earmarking them as surefire radio fodder.

Elsewhere pumping instrumental track Emergency Signs For Motorists and the trance-inducing Emotional Calligraphy show a breadth of scope quite remarkable in a band who had only been together for such a brief time when the songs were put to tape.

In the intervening months Mary Trembles have played and toured extensively and are already showing signs of taking it to the next level, making this a superb snapshot of a potentially excellent band finding their feet."

FASTERLOUDER.COM.AU live review. The Zoo, Brisbane 25/10/06

"Brisbane’s greatest emerging artists Mary Trembles provided the crowd with an appetiser before Chicago's Urge Overkill took the stage. Playing tracks from their seven track mini album 'ps...situation', the crowd imbibed the rock and roll raw energy that the three-piece emitted in an almost flawless performance. Mary Trembles opened their set with the fervid and powerful Not My Fault. These guys gel so well as a band and have some intense creations up their sleeves. Their sound is distinct and cannot be described under any particular genre. It’s symmetrically written, ballsy, exact and hypnotic. Playing their high JJJ rotation melodic track Scene From Below, they concluded their set in jaw dropping rock star fashion."

Time Off Magazine live review. The Troubadour, Brisbane. 9/2/07

"...Whereas it can be argued that the two preceding acts may have been compensating for average songs by upping the energy and volume, Mary Trembles require no such compensation. With a black-and-white slideshow projected on the backdrop, the trio take the stage led by the self-assured yet humble Skritch, and slide into a slow jam.

Skritch’s numerous vocal nuances are pervasive - from ballsy screams to hushed falsettos - and as a frontman who’s also the band’s sole guitarist, he is a consummate performer. Despite this being their first headlining show since forming 18 months ago, all three members remarkably exhibit an intimate understanding of each other’s playing.

In perhaps a surprise move, MT play Triple J favourite ‘Scene From Below’ before boldly ending with a new song they’ve never performed live. Entitled ‘Eating Through The Debauchery’, the song is a tour de force of crashing crescendos of guitar squall and powerful melodies, and is easily the best moment of the night. The boys leave the stage amid howls of guitar feedback, and anticipation for their debut long-player, due out by year’s end, couldn’t be higher."

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