I've been writing about Brad Marino's solo music for eight years now. You'd think that after that long, I wouldn't be so consistently amazed by the songs he puts into the universe. Yet my reaction to his new single "Murder and Violence" is the same reaction I had to "C'Mon C'Mon C'Mon" way back when: Holy cow, that's freaking great! I wanted to go running out into the street and start raving about what an awesome tune this is! When you expect a lot from a recording artist yet always feel like you got even more than you were hoping for, that tells you that you're dealing with an extraordinary talent.
What I love about "Murder and Violence" is that it tweaks Marino's signature pop rock 'n' roll style just a little by adding a touch of The Jesus and Mary Chain influence. It also has a slower tempo than Marino tunes typically do. Perhaps most notably, the lyrics cut really deep. I've always thought that Marino was really underrated as a lyricist, but this is one of the few times I've heard him venture into true social commentary. The title alone tells you that he's writing about serious stuff. More specifically, he's talking about how compliantly we witness violence and all sorts of other horrible things on our screens and how easily we're swayed by the politicians and media personalities who spin these tragedies for their own benefit. In the wake of this weeks' events, the message is chillingly relevant. As Marino points out, no amount of wishing or praying will "make things all right."
"Murder and Violence" is the second single from Marino's forthcoming LP, Agent of Chaos. Gene Champagne, Bobby Davis, Ron Mullens, Caity Marino, and Dave Strong back him on this track and do amazing work. Man, 2026 sure looks like it's gonna be another amazing year for music!
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