Creative eclecticism meets with unrelenting intrigue, as Deckard Croix captures attention in seconds, for the superb album Marquis Verdigris.
Self-penned as the darker sister album to Cosmospine, the project intertwines organic and distorted aspects across a moody and impressively cinematic tapestry of composition.
Inizio as the opener is all of this in one, a complex and captivating journey, intertwining careful production panning with raw guitars, rhythms, and an overall blues-like stomp reminiscent of some Tarantino or Western movie scene.
Oliveira moves us into muggy rock and intimate vocals, nostalgic and familiar for that mellow stomp of a rhythm, now appealing for its psychedelic layering and the fascinating observations at the lyrical helm. Familiarity and the outright unexpected walk hand in hand as the music evolves and explores its own sentiments, and at the final drop back into familiarity, a certain nineties trip-hop aura ensues – another edge of nostalgia that’s beautifully immersive.
These qualities continue, the voice and rhythm of The Future Is Hieroglyphic now familiar, but the melody, concept and overall vibe seeming completely new. A subtle twist of The Last Shadow Puppets lingers, before we veer outwards into reverb-kissed keys and unpredictable shifts in energy and tone.
For Vegetable Television a retro and minimalist jam session emerges, breathy and soulful vocals to follow, and another uniquely meandering sense of story taking over along the way. That balance between the intimate and the amplified is unmistakable now, even with such diversity between tracks – the Marquis Verdigris energy stands tall and distinct.
Love Until the Edge of Doom intertwines Americana and Bowie for one of the album’s most memorable offerings, before Verdigris leads with that Western bass and exotic bends for a slow-burning yet evocative highlight. After this, the alternative mystique of Kingdom of Revolution brings us back to the historical or topical underbelly of the writing, a stripped-back and sultry contemplation provoking deeper interest in these stories and images.
On a personal level, Cur non is an absolute highlight – the juxtaposition of the acoustic finger-picking and the heavier drops injects an artistic and near-euphoric sense of passion that’s both haunting and immensely satisfying for its melodic and structural impact. Gentle Nudging follows with a personal story and some again unorthodox instrumental switches.
Wrapping things up is the intensity and drama of Praise the Almighty Nothingness – Deckard Croix refusing to allow the listener to leave before reconsidering the weight and darkness of all that led to the inception of Marquis Verdigris. This post-six-minute closer is everything we’ve come to love about the album, a psychedelic jam session united by groove and movement through a series of ideas relating to the human experience. No lyrics now, just playful confrontation to reinforce the spiraling energy and expression of the whole.
Unexpectedly brilliant, Marquis Verdigris is one of the most refreshing, interesting and enjoyable albums to hit the airwaves this year. This is real music, inspired but uninfluenced – its own creative beast exploring the great unknown with both musical precision and fearless expressive freedom. Deckard Croix is a name worth knowing about.
Download Marquis Verdigris via Bandcamp. Find Deckard Croix on Facebook.
