What a wonderful little project! This EP is 5 tracks recorded live to tape in April/May 2014. Marcus Eads is a musician and a songwriter, or more elegantly stated on his page, he is as “instrumental improvisationalist • bioacoustic field recordist • magnetic tape enthusiast • church youth director” , combining his interests and passions into fantastic works of sonic art.
“Yacht Fire!” is another in the series of brief EP’s put out by Marcus, several of these with a couple full-lengths have hit the web since late 2012, and the catalog continues to grow, both in size and style. This newest EP features a distinct new flavor throw into the usual crockpot of lo-fi americana noodling, a special spice perhaps! The instrumentation is more diverse than previous projects, including percussion tracks, sparse keys and vibes, as well as what I might guess is some sample sounds! Flavors of vapor and mallsoft inspiration drip from the tape on this one, slow and washed out grooves looping endlessly into a blissful oblivion….
As always, Marcus’s guitar improvisations prove to be a subtle highlight of the whole experience. It is simply easy to get lost in this playing, the nostalgic vibe in the tone and rhythms applied create a very delicious and addicting listening experience. I often find myself playing through these EP’s and albums two or three times, simply because it is so pleasing to the ears!
I must say, I am a fan of the traditional style usually applied to his releases, but Marcus managed to mix in the perfect amount of new ideas with tried and true foundation. It was great to hear things mixed up a bit, yet it seems like Marcus hasn’t missed a step. I look forward to more sonic exploration from this artist, as it is always a pleasure when it finds itself my way. Marcus Eads, Yacht Fire! A highly recommended listen!
Eternity Tree 