Manchester’s jazz punks Maruja release their second EP Connla’s Well on Friday 26 April. It follows their debut Knocknarea which unleashed the quartet kicking and screaming into the world. Connla’s Well is book-marked by two instrumental pieces, opening with the title track. It’s a calming start, a slow build-up with its shimmering cymbals and a hint of the saxophone layered underneath the guitar.
Next is the latest single ‘The Invisible Man’ which is simply majestic as it effortlessly builds in intensity. The depth of emotion created by Maruja’s music is breathtaking. ‘The Invisible Man’ is more contemplative than in previous songs. The band share it is a story about mental health, with the lyrics shaped by personal experiences of dealing with loved ones struggling in the midst of the mental health epidemic. It’s moulded from the perspective of someone dealing with grief. This is so palpable within the instrumentation. How can soundscapes create such an internal response? At times the track evokes a wallowing in this most difficult of human conditions, the anxiety is expressed within the saxophone and somehow the drums manage to be dark and foreboding. But then there is the break towards the end, perhaps expressing hope and a calmness that can descend once the grief subsides.
It seems only fitting for Maruja that the middle track of this EP is ‘Zeitgeist’ . It opens with the pulsating saxophone of Joe Carroll that immediately increases in speed until it is simply blasting forth. Vocalist and guitarist Harry Wilkinson, drummer Jacob Hayes and bassist Matt Buonaccorsi then join in the fray, creating a cacophony of sound. The vocals are fast and frantic, full of manic energy combining perfectly with the instrumentation which is going haywire. No room for moments of quiet as in previous singles, ‘Zeitgeist’ is a full frontal attack on the senses for its duration. The band further explains:
“The energy is reminiscent of acts like Rage Against The Machine and Prodigy. This is the track we open our live sets with and it’s all of us going full pelt for three minutes. It’s our most unapologetic, in-your-face track to date which shocks every listener into paying full attention.”
‘One Hand Behind the Devil’ continues the frenzied vibe with its wild start. However, it embraces the quiet as well as the loud blending the two with effortless ease. The pounding drumbeat is ever-present throughout. The raw break-beats are let loose, the scuzzy static kicks in and the soaring saxophone runs wild as the track builds towards its explosive climax.
The final track ‘Resisting Resistance’ has been closing the shows on the band’s UK tour. To watch the impact of this song on a crowd which only moments before was a teeming mosh-pit is truly astonishing. They stood still in silence, transfixed as if hypnotised. It’s a beautiful track, beguiling and captivating. The hook is an earworm for sure, but one the listener simply wants to wallow in. At six minutes ‘Resisting Resistance’ is given the time and space to express itself, in all its beauty, and it quietly and calmly finishes the EP.
Connla’s Well is the product of a band on the rise, confident in their sound and not afraid to lead their audience. A live session on BBC Radio6 New Music Fix programme from Maida Vale Studios, a run of sold-out gigs and a growing fanbase drawn into their world are just some of the signs this band are one to watch. It’s in the live performance that Maruja really deliver the full power and force of their music, but as shown on this their second EP, expect the unexpected and enjoy the ride, whether it be chaotic or calm one thing is clear, it will be exhilarating.
