Marina City's EP, "Terminal," is a Nuanced Masterpiece
Marina City is a Chicago based five-piece band made up of Ryan Argast (vocals), Brian Johnson (guitar, vocals), Matt Gaudiano (keyboard, vocals), Eric Somers-Urrea (drummer), and Aaron Heiy (bassist). Marina City's put out two EP's a short album: Wanderlust, Terminal, & In the Wake of Dreaming which have garnered the band a lot of attention. They've been named "Top 10 Independent Bands You Need to Know" by MTV & Altmusic, the "Band You Need to See" by Alt Press for Warped Tour & Riot Fest 2016, and The 2016 Band Of The Year by Chicago Nightlife Awards.
Marina City's latest EP "Terminal," out TODAY, is packed with catchy tracks including my personal favorites Man in the Mirror & Dreamers Never Die. Argast's vocals in Man in the Mirror is reminiscent of Patrick Stump's of Fall Out Boy. The track starts out with a slow, steady build up that immediately prompts the listener to think of Centuries before phasing into a chest rattling drum beat set to electronic tones The final result is a sound that warrants the excitement it invokes. Dreamers Never Die, the last track on the EP, is also a pastiche of modern Fall Out Boy, predominantly in Argast's vocalization. The overall tone of this track is much more somber than the rest of the EP, which is evocative of Evanescence and their alternative metal sound.
Royalty, is a mesmerizing track where the band takes the chance to demonstrate their vocal range and vibrato. Backed by phenomenal harmonizations and stunning instrumentals, this track is easily a chart-topper. Marina City takes a more tender direction with Better Weather; a heartfelt, electronic love song budding from a sensual, acoustic intro. What MC has created in Better Weather is a truly sublime track. Finally, Thieves is a complex & bold song, far too difficult to simply categorize or compare. The utilization of piano, heavy guitar, and softer vocals can only be described as an alt rock-fusion hybrid, the likes of which I've never heard before. The highly layered and complex sound is what makes Marina City such a progressive band.
Listen to "Terminal" yourself to get the full experience and while you're at it, check out the music video for Dreamers Never Die below.
