Marnie Stern – The Chronicles Of Marnia

Marnie Stern – The Chronicles of Marnia (Kill Rock Stars) 

The fourth album from finger-tapping guitar goddess Marnie Stern finds her working with a new drummer after losing long-time collaborator Zach Hill to Death Grips, as well as working with a producer for the first time. The end result is sparser-sounding and more sharply focused on Stern’s vocals than her previous work. The Chronicles of Narnia books told the tale of children enlisted to protect a magical kingdom from evil. Marnie’s Chronicles catalogue the self-described recluse’s battles with her own set of personal demons: making ends meet, alienation, self-doubt, creative stagnation. On ‘Proof of Life’ she sings, ‘All my life is based on fantasy/ And all the gods, they’ve stopped talking to me’ before entreating said gods to ‘Give me a sign.’ To my ears, this album is sign enough that Stern’s ability to inspire remains as divine as ever.
 
by Carly Blair