“Marking Out” is a new song from the Glasgow two-man band, Now Wakes the Sea. The track will be one of several on Now Wakes the Sea’s upcoming Primary CouloursPrimary Coulours cassette, released on Fox Box records in honor of Cassette Store Day (October 7th). We included Now Wakes the Sea on a previous playlist about death.
“Marking Out”, perhaps a play on the UK tendency to add r’s liberally (arse), is a lamentation of summer’s end as well as the end of a relationship. Like much of Now Wakes the Sea’s oeuvre, it deals with feelings of powerlessness and existential angst. The song frequently mentions the weight of time: (“Summer came and passed us by”/”With our drinks and the melting ice/ which disappeared with passing time”).
The lyrics are sung in a wonderful, sneering, overly-articulated, melancholic UK drawl (lol I sound like such a filthy American). Singer/guitarist Alan McCormack seems to emphasize this delivery – certain phrases such as “switching to a lower gear” are delivered with calculated acidity.
Despite being a fairly simple song, the sound is hard to describe. The maraca, tumbling synths, and jangly guitars evoke a kind of psychedelic lo-fidelity, while the minor key and organs give the track a funereal feel. Now Wakes the Sea describes themselves as “Lofi experimental indie rock and/or roll”, and I think it’s a pretty apt description – I recommend you listen for yourself.
No link to buy tapes yet, so you can keep up with NWTS on social media if you’re feelin it.
