I’m not against AI music, but there’s just something unique and tasteful when a real artist creates an album from inception to execution. That is the case with Marzoña’s newest album, ‘Love Songs For Colder Weather.’ Let me discuss this album at length and read why it’s pop personified at its peak.
First on the list, we have ‘A-List” that has this live component attached to it because of the guitar effects. It has a bit of chorus, a bit of amp crank, and a bit of twangy sound to it. It sounds like what John Mayer or Ed Sheeran would release and produce because of the overall feel of the track. Marzoña’s influence is all over this track, and I have to say that it is exquisite taste. The rap and guitar flow and progression are interesting. In today’s musical landscape, it’s refreshing to hear songs influenced by real musicians.
The second track of the album, ‘Down for Whatever,’ is the type of pop song that a musician would create. The note progression, the subtle lead lick, and the overall flow of the track are screaming pop personified. It’s not an ordinary pop song that has elements that we would hear from pop artists today. It’s made by a musician for the fans and for the musicians, and having that element is, honestly, what we need right now.
‘Obviously’ is my personal favorite because of its close resemblance to some songs from John Mayer’s first album, ‘Room for Squares.’ The songwriting, the arrangement, and how it was expressed hit close to home. I’ve listened to it a bunch of times, and every time I play it, it feels like I’m lying beneath a tree on a Sunday afternoon. That’s how relaxing and how close this song hits home to me.
‘Plans’ feels and sounds like a track from Sara Bareilles. The keyboard lick, the melodical flow, and the arrangement have that influence. By far, the tracks from this album are what I call musician pop. It has all the pop elements to make it to mainstream, but still has that musician touch because of the arrangements and overall use of instrumentation.
‘Honeymoon’ took me back to the time when music feels something. I’m a big fan of the music from the early to late 2000s, and this track syncs in that timeline perfectly. When I listened to this track for the first time, I was shocked because I thought the playlist was on random plays, but no. It was written and created for that timeline. They say ‘don’t give in to nostalgia,’ but this type of songs are something worth listening to again and again because of how human and nostalgic it is. Again, it was influenced by musicians for musicians and music fans.
What’s interesting about ‘Cuticles’ is the bossa nova influence due to the guitar playing and overall arrangement. It’s a mix of pop and bossa nova if John Mayer produced it. It’s that interesting. The bass lick is up to par with the arrangement, alongside the elements added to the track, like the vocal samples and keyboard progression. The chord change in the latter part of the track was not noticeable, making this a really great and interesting track. When someone executes a difficult thing and makes it sound easy is a feat of its own.
‘Something About You’ is the most mature track on this album. Yes, it still has those pop elements to it, but the songwriting and arrangement are much more executed with finesse and class compared to the former ones. This feels like when John Mayer released ‘Born and Raised.’ It’s still pop personified, but on a more serious note.
And the last track of the album, ‘Maybe Tomorrow’, is by far the most serious track in the album, and honestly, it was placed perfectly because it leaves room for curiosity about what the next album would sound like. Leaving listeners and fans on the verge of what’s next.
Marzoña’s album, ‘Love Songs For Colder Weather,’ is a musician’s album because of its pop personification, raw and nostalgic songwriting, and its heavy influence on human instrumentation and arrangement. It’s a fresh album that has all the nostalgic feels of an album derived from the early to late 2000s. We are lucky enough to listen to an album like this and get a front row seat on what a real artist would create art.
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About the Author
He has been in the music industry for two and a half decades. Currently, he plays bass guitar for a rock-reggae band called EnjointPh and a funk-fusion trio called Banky. He also hosts a podcast titled Usapang Musiko with Ervin Besana, which explores topics such as music, arts, and philosophy.
