The Times, Metro Section, 17 July 99 (single of the
week)
NME, 31 July 99
Nightshift, July 99 issue
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The Times, Metro Section, 17 July 99
THE BIG SINGLE: Marine Research formed from the ruins of Heavenly, the Oxford band whose output of frothy old-skool indie guitar shamblings and Sixties girl-pop was sadly abbreviated by the suicide of founder member Mathew Fletcher. They were always much more appreciated by America's pop underground than by our irritatingly sniffy tastemakers, who tend to prefer the more predictable blandishments offered by tired lad bands. Parallel Horizontal is Marine Research's third outing for Calvin Johnson's hip American label, K, and hasn't strayed too far from Heavenly's original blueprint. It's a light-fingered, sublime, summery pop blast distinguished by Amelia Fletcher's increasingly tasty Debbie Harry-like vocals, soaring harmonies and crunchy guitars. The band's refusal to go for the easy option is also beguiling; the fact that there is no obvious chorus doesn't detract from the song's charm at all but instead highlights its sheer ingenuity. Perfect sunny day pop music. Paul Connolly
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If we told you Marine Research boasted ex-members of Anal C, would you believe us? They don't, of course, but if we tell you they feature ex-members of Heavenly/Talulah Gosh, you'll write this bewitching record off as an Arran sweater's worth of inconsequential, twee bleatings. Which would be unfair, especially seeing as 'Angel In The Snow' is four minutes of icy-cool girl group incandescence, while the title track deploys jangling guitars, handclaps and whirling keyboards to conjure up the kind of effervescent pop thrills it'd take Phil Spector several orchestras to achieve. But we already know what you're thinking. Woolly cardigans. Hairslides. Hello sodding Kitty. Sigh. Your loss. Stevie Chick
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Nightshift, July 99 issue
Sugar-sweet taster for their forthcoming debut album. Marine Research paradoxically find themselves as the cutest pop band on the planet and Fugazi's support band of choice. 'Parallel Horizontal' is trademark Marine Research: Amelia's breathless vocal chirrup, backed up by Kathy's angelic harmonies over a deviously powerful guitar shimmy. It sounds like a punk rock nursery-rhyme played out by the Ronettes or the Crystals; it's fantastically merry and uncomplicated but for all its sweetness there's barely a trace of tweeness to he heard.
So, children: sing a happy song, dream a happy dream, play your guitar like you just don't care, and if anyone tries to nick your chocolate picnic cake, rip the fucker's throat out. It's the Marine Research way. Dale Kattack
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