Marlowe

The wealth of musical talent that has originated from Liverpool over the years is quite legendary, and some people would have you believe that Marlowe belong somewhere the top of the list. Marlowe are a young band who are still relatively unknown even in the UK, but during their short career have won some formidable fans such as John Peel. Perhaps the most obvious kindred spirits to Marlowe would be the late, lamented Hefner, a band who didn’t have any problems telling tales concerning the messier side of relationships. Plus both bands have a unique sound that isn’t easy to categorise, something that could potentially stop Marlowe from garnering more than a cult following. A Day in July, their sophomore effort, is not an easy album to like — it takes several listens before Marlowe’s elusive genius begins to materialise, and even then it feels like hard work to sit through the album in one sitting. But eventually songs like "The Perfect Diagram” and the wonderfully titled "I’m the Kinda Guy Who Takes Advantage of a Woman like You” will reveal themselves in all their glory. A Day in July might not be the masterpiece that those British folks who are supposedly in the know claim, but it is still a good album from a band that can only get even better with age.