Review: Marian Hill’s Play
These past few weeks have been a thrilling round of firsts for new electro/R&B duo Marian Hill including their live debut at Boot and Saddle last week and the release of their very first EP Play yesterday. Sleek and seductive, it’s a job well done for the pair who met back in middle school.
Opening track “One Time”, the catchiest of the bunch, effortlessly reels you in at first listen as Samantha Gongol’s sultry vocals sizzle over Jeremy Lloyd’s infectious loop. Lloyd ups the tempo and has a bit more fun with production on “Play,” a song reminiscent of Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam’s ’80s classic “I Wonder If I Take You Home.” Gongol’s jazz-inspired vocals construct the chill vibe and smooth texture of “Lovit” and even moreso on “Whisky,” the first track that surfaced from the duo months ago. Slow-burning, atmospheric closing number “Breathe Into Me” is an open space for Gongol’s voice to fill with the heights of her vocal range and emotion as the EP’s ending ignites a new flame in R&B.
Below, get a free download of Play for this week only.