Marsicans are an indie band from Leeds who have been gracing festival stages for a few years. They’ve just released their DIY debut album ‘Ursa Major.’ Despite no label-backing Marsicans have not hesitated to treat us to a 16 track album.
‘Ursa Major’ begins with a twinkling The 1975-Esq track named ‘Introduction’. Marsicans are known for their focus on the bass guitar in their music. The introductory track is only 26 seconds, rolling seamlessly into ‘Juliet.’ ‘Juliet’, ‘Sleep Start’, and ‘Summery In Angus’ all are perfect songs to be screaming the lyrics to at a festival on a hot day. By ‘Dr. Jekyll’, the album’s pulled down to a softer melancholic sound. Though the song picks up, it continues to have a gloomy undertone. We are then met with ‘Interlude I’ which fades into ‘Evie’, a song about divorce from the father’s perspective.
‘Someone Else’s Touch’ brings the album’s tempo right down. It focuses on vocals with a soft bass playing in the background. The lyrics emphasize the heartbreaking acceptance of knowing you have lost a lover to another. This feeling of sadness seeps into the lyrics of ‘‘These Days’, contrasting to the song’s upbeat nature. ‘Ursa Major’ has a second and third interlude and two more melancholic songs: ‘Can I Stay Here Forever’ and ‘Blood In My Eye’. Track number 14 is ‘Sunday’, another typical Marsican song that makes you want to get up and dance.
The album’s penultimate track ‘Leave Me Outside’ is just as energetic as ‘Sunday’. ‘Ursa Major’ is brought to a close with ‘Should’ve Been There’ which feels delicate like a Hozier song. It’s an interesting choice to end with due to its mellowness. The song makes you feel sad the album’s over and makes you want to start from track 1 again.
