Observer
Extremely Huge, 2020
9/10
The New York City artists Life On Mars, i.e. Earl Kayoss and Fernando Perdomo, return with a 4th album, and they’ve got 17 very diverse tracks for us, where guests include Zak Nilsson, Salvador Navarra and Scarlet Rivera across 70+ minutes of unpredictable and exciting song craft.
“And One Day” starts the listen with careful acoustic guitar as light and intimate vocals guide the prog-rock influenced climate, and “Cement” follows with folk-rock ideas unfolding alongside vivid storytelling and meticulous guitar lines.
A listen with no filler, middle tracks like “The Tall Man” are charged rock’n’roll at its finest, while “I Ride The Train” sounds very indebted to the ‘70s in all the best ways. “Target”, the best of the best, then flows with both gritty and melodic sensibilities in its complicated yes accessible climate.
Deeper yet, “I’m A Good Man” is a rhythmic and snappy display of pop-rock spirit, and the unusually titled “Maggots Eating A Dead Rat On High-Speed Film” is actually a calm, maudlin moment of bare beauty. “Gray” exits the listen, and brings retro-rock spirit to a busy execution of energetic and inviting songwriting.
While 17 tracks might be a lot to digest unless you’re a diehard fan, Life On Mars never out welcomes their stay, as a dynamic and eclectic formula of rock keeps us anticipating each subsequent track.
Travels well with: Quiet Marauder- Tiny Men Parts; R. Stevie Moore- Afterlife