Marika Hackman - Big Sigh
by Nick Dent-Robinson
published: 8 / 3 / 2024
Label:
Chrysalis
Format: LP
intro
Melancholic and brooding combination of piano ballads and indie folk on latest album from multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter Marika Hackman
The latest album by Hampshire-born, multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter Marika Hackman, daughter of two professional animators, a Finnish father and an English mother, is an intriguing mix of brooding piano ballads and catchy Indie folk, a sense of unease coupled with frissons of angst pervading these, against a backdrop of visceral, anatomical imagery. ‘Big Sigh’, a record on which Hackman plays virtually every instrument except brass and strings, stands in striking contrast to her breakthrough 2019 poppier ‘Any Human Friend’. Songs to listen out for in this ten-track collection include: the atmospheric opener ‘The Ground’ with its classic piano and strings and spellbinding chorus: “Gold is on the ground/I was happy for a while”; the frenetic, introspective ‘No Caffeine’ with its laconic advice on how to avoid a panic attack: ”Take a day off work, call your mum/Have a glass of wine, stay away from fun”; the grunge, guitar-driven title track; autopsy of a failed relationship ‘Hanging’, a devastating ballad building into a crescendo with its graphic, uncompromising lines: “Remember when you said I’m a disease/And how you’d like to kill me in your dreams” and the eventual, exultant cathartic release: “Yeah, you were a part of me/I’m so relieved it hurts”; the moving instrumental ‘Lonely House’ ; the melancholy, experimental ‘Vitamins’; Indie rocker ‘Slime’ with its charged sexual energy; and the sparse acoustic ‘The Yellow Mile’ with its hypnotic refrain - ”Show me the bones that we buried outside (don’t be so)/No home-grown, this is better (kind)” - bringing to a full circle the rollercoaster ride of emotions. With emotive lyrics, orchestral moments, imprinted with a burning candour, ‘Big Sigh’ is an intense musical encounter which resonates on repeated listening.
Track Listing:-
1 The Ground2 No Caffeine
3 Big Sigh
4 Blood
5 Hanging
6 The Lonely House
7 Vitamins
8 Slime
9 Please Don't Be So Kind
10 The Yellow Mile
Band Links:-
https://www.facebook.com/MarikaHackmanhttps://twitter.com/marikahackman
https://soundcloud.com/marika-hackman
http://marikahackman.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marika_Hackman
Play in YouTube:-
Have a Listen:-
Visitor Comments:- |
| 13079 Posted By: Williemae Desailly, a point or extent in space on 21 Nov 2024 edit |
|
Thank you - your comment will be published once it has been reviewed
|
| 13076 Posted By: Edgar Luke, a point or extent in space on 20 Nov 2024 edit |
|
Thank you - your comment will be published once it has been reviewed
|
| 13072 Posted By: Jean Brandt, a point or extent in space on 20 Nov 2024 edit |
|
Thank you - your comment will be published once it has been reviewed
|
| 13069 Posted By: Hosea Coleman, a point or extent in space on 19 Nov 2024 edit |
|
Thank you - your comment will be published once it has been reviewed
|
| 13064 Posted By: Gus Nevile, a point or extent in space on 19 Nov 2024 edit |
|
Thank you - your comment will be published once it has been reviewed
|
| 13063 Posted By: Moises Sylvester, Txffh on 19 Nov 2024 edit |
|
Thank you - your comment will be published once it has been reviewed
|
| 13061 Posted By: Dacia Grondin, a point or extent in space on 19 Nov 2024 edit |
|
Thank you - your comment will be published once it has been reviewed
|
| 13056 Posted By: Christoper Schmid, L Rpbi dikauy on 19 Nov 2024 edit |
|
Thank you - your comment will be published once it has been reviewed
|
| 13053 Posted By: Eugenio Weldon, a point or extent in space on 18 Nov 2024 edit |
|
Thank you - your comment will be published once it has been reviewed
|
| 13050 Posted By: Sheena Abendroth, a point or extent in space on 18 Nov 2024 edit |
|
Thank you - your comment will be published once it has been reviewed
|
| 13044 Posted By: Wyatt Tse, a point or extent in space on 17 Nov 2024 edit |
|
Thank you - your comment will be published once it has been reviewed
|
| 13039 Posted By: Ernestina Galbraith, a point or extent in space on 17 Nov 2024 edit |
|
Thank you - your comment will be published once it has been reviewed
|
live reviews |
|
Craufurd Arms, Wolverton, 30/3/2015 |
|
| Owen Peters finds no doubt of acclaimed young singer-songwriter Marika Hackman's talent but her lacking stage presence during her latest tour at a show at the Craufurd Arms in Wolverton |
bandcamp
soundcloud
most viewed articles
current edition
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #15- On Being Dignified and Old aka Ten Tips From Jah Wobble On How To Be Happy.Dennis Tufano - Copernicus Center, Chicago, 19/7/2024
Elliott Murphy - Interview
Wreckless Eric - Interview
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #16: Living in the Minds of Strangers
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #17: Tom Robinson
Adrian Gurvitz - Interview
Norman Rodger - Interview
Chris Spedding - Interview
Penumbra - Interview
most viewed reviews
current edition
Groovy Uncle - Making ExcusesPhilip Parfitt - The Dark Light
Jules Winchester - The Journey
Deep Purple - =1
Bill Wyman - Drive My Car
Ross Couper Band - The Homeroad
Hawkestrel - Chaos Rocks
John Murry and Michael Timmins - A Little Bit of Grace and Decay
Popstar - Obscene
Splashgirl and Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe - More Human
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart