Marlene Oak Delivers A Soulful Album

A gorgeous new album release from Marlene Oak delivers up wonderfully crafted blend of contemporary pop, rock, soul, and more, all rolled into a character riddled and youthful soundscape that gives off plenty of honesty in the form of storytelling, along with a slew of influences taking place so that you have a record that feels diverse yet confluent all at the same time.

The record wastes very little time delivering a robust aesthetic with its first track, "Threading A Fine Line".

The single is lush with heartland-feeling instrumentation from twangy guitars that give elements of Americana, to thick and bountiful, so packed vocals that come through both impactful and powerful, but also smooth.

This is one of my favorite attributes of the entire release. Her vocals are just inspiring. They have such a vibrancy to them and bring a unique and particular warm tonality to the already full-bodied songs, so that you have these layers of textures that just come together and create atmospheres that you fall right into.

This track is one of the best ones to introduce the record with, simply because it showcases some of the staples that you will hear throughout the album itself.

There is that vintage overtone. Instruments and vocals are peppered with reverb effect, and the guitar tones really bring out this classic feel, which is a theme throughout the record. She's clearly inspired by classic old school Soul music, which is something that you can hear very evidently throughout the course of the album

Now, having said all that, this is definitely a record you want to listen to from beginning to end. There are plenty of surprises around the corners, again, some diverse and eclectic styles of songwriting that come together, and there are plenty of these stories that give you glimpses into who she is as a person.

Marlene is clearly an artist who gives little pieces of herself in her music. I love how she's able to bring out such impactful levels of personality throughout this record, and listening to the entire thing from start to finish is the only way to get the full experience that you're meant to.

Songs like "Kitchen Table" give you these indie rock elements, and these are the times where she's able to really blend a more current feel into that vintage tonality. She does it completely seamlessly, and it still comes through with this amazing sort of balance of color, edginess, and the ability to bend genres.

You have a bit more of a fuzz tone guitar; still, that classic soul approach vocally, and the whole thing is written in a format and arrangement that feels more current than classic.

Then you have songs like "Going Nowhere", which feature new instruments coming into play, bringing a more funk undertone. It has a little bit of a rock backbone, but still sits firmly under the contemporary pop umbrella and makes me feel like listening to something that was released in the 90s.

As I mentioned before, there are a slew of classic influences coming through during this entire release, and she's able to bring those influences from different decades of music together on this one record.

One of the most cinematic and emotionally backed songs on the record is the closing track, "Love Is Patient". 

This is a wonderful ending to the record. It has such a vast undertone with these distanced percussive hits and an acoustic guitar, along with a more Southern-kissed aesthetic.

This feels like one of the more Americana-influenced tracks, and it works beautifully because she really can either put herself out there big and bountiful with those vocals, or she can be more subtle, delicate, and smooth.

I love that she sings softly on songs like this because it draws you into the lyrics in a different way. You feel the difference of emotion coming through and completely understand that this comes from some real place.

These are the attributes that are really important to understand when listening to the record.

A lot of these songs come from her life, and the whole record serves almost like reading a diary.

Some of the tracks are much more personal and have more emotional pull;  others are a little bit brighter, vibrant, danceable, and in your face, lush with instrumentation and a vivacious approach.

Either way, you know you're getting something real, and that's what's important.

There's no way to really explain the amount of soul that comes through on this record, so just listen to it. Straight up. Go listen to this album because it's going to do a lot for you, especially if you love songs that make you think, make you feel, make you dance, and have a great personality to boot. Songs that are honest and tell stories are everything in this world.

It works that way because we can relate to those stories. Music like this lets us remember how human we actually are.

I'm not saying this is some kind of overly vulnerable record. It's got just the right level of vulnerability. It is still unafraid in certain ways and very expressive, as it should be.

But none of it is overwhelming. It's all very balanced dynamically and emotionally.

Now, after listening to the record, I absolutely had to speak with Marlene about where it all came from and what it meant to her. I wanted to know what made this record happen and what kind of music influenced her when she started.

So, while you listen to the album, read through our interview with the artist below.

Buzz Slayers: Let's talk about "Welcome to Oak Land!"! This record was freeing and breezy feeling with a lot of honesty involved!! Where did this record come from?

It came from a place within. Each song has its own story, and writing has always been a way for me to cope with reality. A few years ago, I went through a severe psychosis- I was completely lost. I didn’t know where I was, who I was, and sometimes I even thought I was in a “fake reality” that I needed to escape from. Nothing made sense. But somehow, writing these songs helped me get better, face reality, and come out stronger on the other side.

I wrote the whole album together with Peter Morén (Sunyears and Peter, Bjorn and John). He’s been a big inspiration to me, and I’ve learned a lot from writing with him. He always goes outside the box, and that’s really helped me open up more- especially when it comes to playing with words and storytelling.

Buzz Slayers: I'm hearing a few different approaches to this record! Who are some of your biggest musical influences?

Oh, that’s a hard question- I love all types of genres: soul, blues, folk, country, and more. This record is really a mix of all of them.

Sam Cooke is a big inspiration- I love the way he sings with his whole heart. The same goes for Jimmy Ruffin’s “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted”, Janis Joplin, Etta James, Candi Staton, Linda Ronstadt, Glen Campbell, Dave Van Ronk, Bob Dylan, Skeeter Davis, The Beatles, Carole King… and many more. It’s hard to pick just one haha!

Buzz Slayers: Did you record this at a home setup, or at a big studio?

It was recorded in a studio in Stockholm and produced together with Peter Morén.

Buzz Slayers: How did this all start for you as an artist?

I fell in love with music as soon as I picked up the guitar. I’d been singing since I was a kid, and when I turned 13, I started playing guitar and writing songs. I loved expressing what I felt and combining words with melodies. It took a while to learn how to write a good song, but I guess you have to keep practicing before you can really create something meaningful.

Buzz Slayers: Are you performing live right now?

Yes! I’ve got a band, and the plan is to play live as much as possible. It’s such a different experience to perform the songs in front of an audience- feeling the energy in the room and the connection between the music and the people there.

Buzz Slayers: Now that this is out, what's next for you?

I’ll just keep writing songs and doing what I love. Hopefully, I’ll get to play live a lot with my band.

Buzz Slayers: Who's in your headphones right now?

Most of the time I’m listening to “old music”- songs from the 60s and 70s. I don’t really know why, but those songs reach me in a different way.

There are a few newer artists I’m into as well: Brooke Combe- I love her soulful sound! It’s refreshing to see someone doing their own thing, not following trends, just creating from a genuine love for music. You can really feel that.

Sierra Ferrell is another favorite- you can feel her soul through the songs. The same goes for Jade Bird- honest and raw. And Michael Kiwanuka has always been a favorite too.

Buzz Slayers: What would you tell people they can expect on this release?

All the songs on this record are stories and observations I’ve lived or experienced.Music has always been a comfort to me, and I’d be happy if it can give that to someone else too. Sometimes we don’t have to figure everything out- it’s okay to just be here and now. I think music has that effect on people.

Buzz Slayers: Before we go, what would you like to express to fans of the music?

We all have a story to tell, and we all go through things. Life has its ups and downs- that’s the beauty of it. Instead of always asking, “What’s the meaning of life?”, you can create your own meaning and explore it. That’s what music is about for me- going to a place with no rules, just a state of being.

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