Schoolkids Records (Retail & Label)

The writing process for The Afterlife began in October 2016. Opening with the ghostly The Moon Drips, a song about creatures of the night, that features mariachi trumpet, demented harpsichord and a thrilling climax, the music was written as a jam in one take – Marty on organ guitar, Dare on bass and Olivia on violin. Marty’s wife, Olivia, joined us on most of the tracks, either playing violin or singing. Dare contributes lyrics on two songs. Show, a jangly pop song and High Tide / Low Tide, written after listening to a friend talk about his bipolar disorder. The King Crimson influence emerges on A Resurrected Man, a slow, beautifully crafted paean to Marty’s muse. For those who like to hear Noctorum at full throttle, A Girl With No Love is built around a Thin Lizzy style riff, motors along at breakneck speed and tells the story of disillusioned lonely men in search of guiltless fantasy. Another stand out track is Head On, a duet between Marty and Olivia, complete with 70s style detective theme backing and a full on progressive instrumental outro as a soundtrack to a lover’s pact, immortalized in a head on collision. The track The Afterlife is beyond categorisation. Over a backing that sounds like a pastoral, even whimsical piece of English folk rock or perhaps a hymn, Marty inhabits the soul of a suicide bomber and tells us his side of the story. Ian McNabb from the Icicle Works explained it best in the title of one of his albums – “If you want to know your enemy, sing his song”.