Hartford’s Magik Markers have been around the block—we can trace the trio’s trajectory from skronky noise rock to a more streamlined (though hardly less off-kilter) sound since 2007’s Boss. The new solo record from the group’s frontwoman Elisa Ambrogio maintains that pop sense as it demonstrates yet another shift into uncharted territory, meandering through a series of subtle yet powerful sounds.
Although certainly a departure from her previous work, the solo album—entitled The Immoralist—is no less artful or deliberate than what we’ve come to expect from Ambrogio. Her smooth, glossy vocals glide over all ilk of minimalist instrumental patterns and cover a whole range of moods, from rapture to total frustration. “Kylie” features a crisscross of heartrending cello sections and piano chords over a low vocal croon, while “Stopped Clocks” is a dizzy jammer packed with synths and a steady drumbeat—and this is only a sampling of the sounds Ambrogio introduces over the course of the record. Lyrically, she throws wrench after wrench, with lines like “Pat my back in the darkness / this is all I know of love” only skimming the surface of the depth she avails. The album as a whole is full of pleasing gradual turns that give a moving portrait of an artist who’s matured but hasn’t let that keep her from experimenting.
The Immoralist will be out via Drag City this Tuesday, and you can stream the full album below until October 24. Scroll down for the silly and sweet video for “Superstitious” (directed by Galaxie 500’s Naomi Yang) as well as dates for her tour with Holy Sons.
Elisa Ambrogio and Holy Sons November Tour Dates:
07 Easthampton, MA – Flywheel
09 Montreal, Quebec, CAN – Le Ritz
10 Toronto, Ontario – Smiling Buddha
11 Detroit, MI – UFO Factory
12 Chicago, IL – Beat Kitchen
13 Columbus, OH – Double Happiness
14 Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts
15 Brooklyn, NY – Union Pool
