''Marriage'' is the third
studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
by American rock duo
Deap Vally
Deap Vally are an American rock duo, formed in Los Angeles, California in 2011. The group consists of Lindsey Troy (guitar, vocals) and Julie Edwards (drums and vocals). They have released three albums, an EP and a number of singles. Both album ...
. It was released on November 19, 2021, via
Cooking Vinyl.
The album title alludes to the way both members see their relationship as bandmates; at one point they even attended
couples therapy
Couples therapy (also couples' counseling, marriage counseling, or marriage therapy) attempts to improve romantic relationships and resolve interpersonal conflicts.
History
Marriage counseling originated in Germany in the 1920s as part of the eu ...
.
In order to reduce their sense of boredom with the band, they decided to work with guests. ''Marriage'' features collaborations with
KT Tunstall
Kate Victoria "KT" Tunstall (born 23 June 1975) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and musician. She first gained attention with a 2004 live solo performance of her song " Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" on '' Later... with Jools Holland''.
Th ...
,
Peaches
The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-fu ...
,
Jennie Vee
Jennie Vee is a songwriter, guitarist and bassist from Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. She has played bass with Courtney Love, supported Echo and The Bunnymen and the Manic Street Preachers and played with Tamaryn.
Vee grew up listening to Hole, Th ...
(
Eagles of Death Metal
Eagles of Death Metal is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, formed in 1998. Founded by Jesse Hughes (vocals, guitar) and Josh Homme (drums), the band also includes a wide range of other musicians who perform both on the band's ...
),
Ayse Hassan (
Savages),
Jenny Lee Lindberg
Jennifer Lee Lindberg (born July 30, 1981) is an American musician, singer-songwriter and record producer, best known as the bassist of the indie rock band Warpaint. In 2015, Lindberg released her first solo album, '' Right On!'', under the name ...
(
Warpaint) and
Jamie Hince
James William Hince is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known as the guitarist for the indie rock duo The Kills. He started his musical career in the bands Fiji, Scarfo, and Blyth Power. He co-founded The Kills with American sing ...
(
The Kills
The Kills are an English-American rock duo formed by American singer Alison "VV" Mosshart and English guitarist Jamie "Hotel" Hince. They are signed to Domino Records. Their first four albums, '' Keep On Your Mean Side'', ''No Wow'', ''Midni ...
).
They have referred to the album as their "
rumspringa
Rumspringa (), also spelled ''Rumschpringe'' or ''Rumshpringa'', is a rite of passage during adolescent, adolescence, translated from originally Palatine German language, Palatine German and other Southwest German dialects to English as "jumpi ...
".
The duo asked the collaborators to feel no pressure, wanting the songs to be free and uncommitted to specific genres.
They claim that having released an album with
The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips are an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1983 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The band currently consists of Wayne Coyne (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Steven Drozd (guitars, keyboards, bass, drums, vocals), Derek Brown (keyb ...
(under the moniker
Deap Lips) had no influence in the more collaborative approach of ''Marriage'', since the partnerships were already contemplated before ''Deap Lips''.
The album was recorded in several venues around the United States, including
Dave Grohl
David Eric Grohl (born January 14, 1969) is an American musician. He is the founder of the rock band Foo Fighters, in which he is the lead singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter. Prior to forming Foo Fighters, he was the drummer of gru ...
's Studio 606, Allen Salmon's Nashville studio and Josiah Mazzaschi's Cave Studio.
The track "Billions" challenges society's celebration of
billionaires
A billionaire is a person with a net worth of at least one billion (1,000,000,000, i.e., a thousand million) units of a given currency, usually of a major currency such as the United States dollar, euro, or pound sterling. The American busi ...
and their influence on people's life goals
while "Better Run" was inspired by the
Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse cases
In October 2017, ''The New York Times'' and ''The New Yorker'' reported that dozens of women had accused film producer Harvey Weinstein of rape, sexual assault and sexual abuse over a period of at least 30 years. Over 80 women in the film ind ...
.
Reception
Mark Deming of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
, wrote that "though Deap Vally have found new ways to dress up their music on Marriage, at their core they haven't changed that much -- this is still a smart, powerful rock band with sharp wit and an abundance of well-deserved confidence -- but the added details and textures make a difference, and this music points to a more interesting future for them than one might have imagined after Femejism."
Writing for
Mondo Sonoro
''Mondo Sonoro'', sometimes shortened to ''la Mondo'', is a Spanish magazine established in 1994 which focuses on current alternative, popular and indie music, as well as national emerging bands. Co-founded by Sergio Marqués and Jose Macarro in B ...
, Raul Julián said the band "keeps offering nothing new" and that the album is "unable to have a bigger intention than to entertain", but conceded that they do what they do "very well".
Hannah Broughton, from ''
The Line of Best Fit
''The Line of Best Fit'' is an independent online magazine based in London, concentrating on new music.
It publishes independent music reviews, features, interview, and media. Founded by Richard Thane in February 2007 and currently edited by P ...
'', considered that "the slower tracks
..add a new weight to the duo's onslaught" and that "they've successfully pushed themselves to create something a bit different". She concluded her review saying that ''Marriage'' "is an impressively balanced album with highs and lows
..Deap Vally have really come into their own here, encompassing everything you could ask for from a rock album."
Ims Taylor of ''
DIY
"Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and sem ...
'' said "it's immediately evident" that the band is "striking out to a magnitude unreached so far. They said the album "is the sound of Deap Vally tapping back into what makes them tick, and lays the groundwork for their most exciting era yet."
Track listing
References
{{Authority control
2021 albums
Deap Vally albums
Cooking Vinyl albums