When I first heard that Brad Marino was working on a solo project, I was pretty stoked. The dude is one of my favorite vocalists and songwriters. But I had to wonder: how would solo Marino stack up to The Connection? The answer is: even better than I could have imagined! I think the whole point of doing a solo record is that it's 100% your baby. That is certainly the case with Extra Credit. Marino basically serves as a one-man-band here. He sings and plays guitar, bass, and drums. The only outside musician to make an appearance is co-producer Kris Rodgers, who contributes his usual stellar work on keyboards along with additional vocals on a few tracks. The songs written for this record would not necessarily sound out of place on a Connection or New Trocaderos album. Yet somehow Extra Credit feels a little different from any other record Marino has lent his name to. He has never sounded more "pop" - or more inspired by the timeless sounds of the '60s. If I had to summarize what this album sounds like, I'd say, "Joey Ramone and Chuck Berry walk into a bar and run into the Rolling Stones."
A few of the tracks on Extra Credit were previewed on-line last year, and they are well worth hearing again. Every time I hear "C'Mon C'Mon C'Mon", I imagine Marino performing it on some '60s TV show in front of a studio audience packed with screaming teenage girls. If the Michael Chaney penned rocker "Fit To Be Tied" were any catchier, we'd all be receiving emergency alerts from the CDC. The newer songs are absolute gold as well. "No One Else Tried It" is Stonesy rock n' roll done to cocksure perfection. "Wake Up Baby", a songwriting collaboration between Marino and Kurt Baker, is the finest slice of British Invasion pop heard since...The New Trocaderos! If there were any justice in the world, "What Comes Naturally" would be a #1 smash on seven continents. It's pop and it's country, but don't call it pop country! If your sweet spot for the Ramones is the run from Rocket To Russia through End of the Century, "Broken Record" and "It's Not Right" will take you straight to your happy place.
Listening to Extra Credit, I'm pretty wowed that it's just one guy doing (almost) everything. But if you're a talented multi-instrumentalist like Brad Marino, I can see why a solo project would be a lot of fun. When you're playing all the instruments, you're not asking anyone else to interpret your songwriting vision. You have the luxury of attending to every last detail. And it's the details that really set this album apart - from the guitar solos to the backing vocals to those wonderfully clever lyrics. There's nothing I enjoy more in music than power pop rock n' roll with a touch of punk. With this release, Marino takes his swing at that style and crushes it like J.D. Martinez jumping on a hanging curve. This album has been in heavy rotation in my car player since the dead of winter, and it remains there as summer approaches!
When a member of a great band ventures into solo territory, you never know what you're going to get. In this case, Brad Marino has managed to turn out a solo debut that is uniquely his vision but still guaranteed to delight fans of his existing bands. If you were worried that Extra Credit was going to be Marino's She's The Boss, I can assure you it's more like his own Jesus of Cool. Stream and vinyl pre-order are available now from the Ghost Highway Recordings Bandcamp. LP is a co-release with Beluga Records. Digital and CD coming out in the states on Rum Bar Records!
-L.R.
https://ghosthighwayrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/extra-credit
https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/extra-credit
https://bradmarino.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/bradmarinomusic
https://www.facebook.com/RumBarRecords
https://www.facebook.com/GhostHighwayRecordings/
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