Marilyn Jordan has a new release, Both Things Are True, produced by Clara Baker and engineered by Bart Ludwig, with additional engineering by Clara Baker and Sacha Mueller.
In a world of polarized “either / or” and the myth that everything — every taste, every opinion, every belief — has two equal sides, the title on Marilyn Jordan’s new album is already highly intriguing. The Western belief that both things cannot be true simultaneously is now, thankfully, under scrutiny.
Marilyn Jordan is a master of the opening line: “It’s a quarter and a dime for two hours working at the windmill, a quarter and a dime for two hours of your day, a quarter of a lime for the tequila it takes to forget about what you’ve seen” are the first lines she breathes on the first song, “The Windmill,” and already you are listening. But you’re really listening, waiting to be shown what’s coming next, not just consuming a song as you’re trying to predict the chorus.
On “River Water,” it’s “When river water meets salt water, you swirl in the mix, your ‘don’t bother’ meets my ‘worried mother’ and the time bomb ticks… if I knew how to diffuse it. … we’d fly away and only soak up sunny days.” And the longing for every day to be one of those positive energy sunny days is drawn up into full view.
“Calico Curtain” “swinging in the wind, touched by a hot breeze the afternoon brought in, race through the mason jars, rest not he table beside the turnips and rising yeast dough.” Full blown images in two opening lines are clearly Marilyn Jordan’s forté.
“Alexa” begins with muted trumpet and a bit of comic relief in a song of a hopeful runaway trying to escape those who are trying to run her into the ground. A fun song to play in front of your electronic device, too.
“Delilah” “What does it mean Delilah, will you dream, will you scream, Delilah when you get back home?” is another intriguing opening line, accompanied by the eery chills of some softly muted high organ sounds and richly plucked strings.
Musicians on the album are Marilyn Jordan on vocal and guitar, Clara Baker (Five Letter Word) on acoustic, resonator and electric guitar, banjo, keys, and vocals; Niko Daoussis (the Shook Twins) on keys, resophonic guitar, upright and electric bass, percussion; Bart Budwig on trumpet; and Nevada Sowle (An American Forrest) on percussion.
Get ahold of this one and savor it. Find the music here along with links to more information: https://marilynjordan.bandcamp.com/album/both-things-are-true
Enjoy our previous coverage here: Song Premiere: Marilyn Jordan “River Water”