If you know Marshal Rones you know that he's a gives-you-his-undivided-attention type of guy, and he equally gets into his own story-telling when it's his turn to share. Even in casual conversation over a smoothie, Marshal radiates an eagerness towards the act of expression.
If you were acquainted with Marshal a few years ago you also know that he's had his fair share of grindcore and screamo ventures. So what happened when that phase of throat-bending was over, and an acoustic guitar was picked up?
Marshal continued to pour his lungs out, but as Montgomery Drive, he's added his heart to it too.
Marshall's latest release is Life on a Seesaw, a 7 track EP that features him, his guitar, some clapping and a midi. While Montgomery Drive's previous release, Crybaby, was completely instrumental, Life on a Seesaw drips in Marshall's vocals. You don't need to pay attention to the lyrics to notice that Marshall is full of sentiment and emotion.
Following a minute long misty acoustic "Intro", "When I Knew You" immediately jumps into fast paced strumming and his voice sets the tone for Seesaw.
Then there's "Greens and Blues," the most upbeat song. It incorporates some subdued tambourine and hand clapping bringing a balance to his vocal range. While "Kyle's Song" didn't do much for me (sorry Kyle, whoever you are), it is followed by my favorite track "The White Pages" which features falsettos that bring a darker vibe to the hard strumming of the guitar. The accordion sounding midi circus-esque finale wraps up the album with a tinge of old-world angst that I'm always a sucker for. I just wish there was more of it throughout the whole album.
There is definitely more room for experimentation, but what he's produced thus far has been done quite well. I'm looking forward to see what else Mr. Rones has in development and I hope that he pulls more tricks from his sleeves.
Listen to Montgomery Drive here
Check him out below playing a gig from his recent tour in Japan
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