With a handful of singles, a Standard Bank Ovation Award (2018), and a SAMA nomination (2019) under their belt Marene have steadily been making a name for themselves with a sound reminiscent of KISS and Van Halen – and is that a bit of Black Sabbath I hear?
In true form, their latest EP Something’s Out There dives into the glory days of glam-rock to take stock of a year defined by upheaval.
I’ll admit to being a bit sceptical when the glam-drenched intro to “Something’s Out There” kicked in, triggering my general dislike for neo-classic-rock, but that all disappeared pretty quickly and before I knew it I was sucked back into the head-banging hey-day of glitter-rock because the truth is that Marene are exceptional at capturing and recreating a sound that changed the face of rock music forever.
However Something’s Out There is more than just a celebration of an era long-gone. From the oh-so subtle underlying melancholy of the title track to the unbridled anger of “Bad Intentions” and, eventually, the upbeat strains of “We’re in Lockdown” and “Bad Lovin’”, the EP runs the gamut of conflicting emotions that we’ve all felt over the last year. Marene are more than just a tribute act and Something’s Out There is more than just a neo-classic-rock flex. It’s an exploration of the thoughts and feelings we’ve collectively experienced during the chaos and confusion of the world we’ve found ourselves in.
