Expo:Marbles

Title: Expo

Label: spinART

Genre: 80s inspired pop

Rating: 5.6 of 7

Marbles is the solo project of pop-minded songwriting extraordinaire Robert Schneider, who most of you know from his successful 90s indie rock bands like Apples in Stereo and Ulysses. Actually Marbles was conceived before Apples even formed, way back 1992, but has been cast aside for his other projects. This is the second album under the moniker and was heavily inspired by Pet Sounds and the 80s Top 40 pop-stars. It is the Elephant 6-esque pop you have come to expect from Schneider, usually packed in 2 and 3 minute pop diddies. Created using drum loops and synthesizer patterns as a backbone, then layering other instruments and vocals on top of it, Expo is not meant to be a deep, complicated record; just something you put on when you are looking for something bright and fun to bob your head to. This is not bad, but nothing really too special either. But what can you really expect when you set out to make a record “like Gary Numan crossed with ELO?”

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