Marah

As Philadelphia’s second favourite sons next to Rocky Balboa, Marah likewise always seem in the midst of making a comeback. While their albums have been inconsistent to say the least, the live show by the Bielanko brothers and company has never suffered for a lack of Replacements-meets-Springsteen drama and intensity. This first live CD/DVD combo serves as both a nice introduction and a reminder of what all the hype was about when Marah first appeared on the scene ten years ago, even though the set leans most heavily on their last two albums, If You Didn’t Laugh, You’d Cry and 20,000 Streets Under The Sky. The CD actually captures a more stripped-down version of the band with tracks from hometown club shows, where Dave Bielanko indulges in some personal storytelling during "The Apartment” and leads the others through a joyously rag-tag version of "Sooner Or Later.” Like much of Marah’s material, these tracks underline once again how instantly lovable it all is, but what the set also underlines is how they have yet to write those one or two songs that would thoroughly crystallise what they’re all about. Until then, they’ll have to keep living with the comparisons to their heroes, although that’s not to say that every attempt they make isn’t worth the effort. I mean, Rocky came out all right in the end, right?