Marina Rocks calls Texas home. She embraces its whole self, warts and all, and takes you on a musical journey through it on her latest record, Texcentric. Starting as a child in the state capital, her mother encouraged her musical exploration at an early age, with not just the gift of a guitar but also a full-fledged Marshall amp. No wallflower was this girl going to be.
The EP starts with Dummin’ Down, a diatribe not just at Texas but the world at large trying to keep its citizens unaware and uncaring. The driving drums and piercing guitar make it a rock song, but electronica and almost rapping vocals put a distinctively modern edge on it. Nameless is another driving rock song, with a lot of Texas style guitar work. Willie Hole is a tribute to the intensity it takes to play a hole through not only a famous artist’s guitar, but also one of Marina’s own instruments.
That emotional intensity continues to play out in Marina’s cover of the Townes Van Zandt classic, If I Needed You. Pounding drums and expansive guitar work make this a full band piece more than the original’s singer-songwriter style. Things take a bit of a psychedelic turn with Walking On Water and then fully embrace a spiritual tie to Terlingua and Big Bend country on the instrumental wrap-up, Blue Skies.
As you may have guessed by the number of times I mentioned guitar, Marina Rocks is a potent picker and power strummer. She’s also an accomplished songwriter, having won multiple writing competitions. Together it’s a potent combination. If you can’t get to Texas to see her, drop in on Texcentric and experience it firsthand.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.