Album Review/ Art Rock : Marianne Nowottny’s ‘Marzanna’

Marianne Nowottny is a singer-songwriter and a literary artist. Lover of classics, theatricals, and dark femme style, her music is not commonplace. It is a niche, frothing with dark frills, unusually delightful perspective, and dramatics with sonic props that will put you right at the scene of her mind. Her latest release is the ‘Marzanna’ album, a collection that explores a dark spectrum of emotions and thoughts, casting an ethereal and ghostly frame on the reality of some feminine realities.

It’s done so artfully, with so much imagination, ideas and concept. That it feels more like the works of great authors rather than a record. Lots of fantastical elements with elements of satire, irony, and literary expression. If the moods of Sylvia Plath, Virginia Woolf, Emily Brontë, Shakespeare, and Jane Austen were to swirl together with mellow modernity, this would be the energy. 

The style is art rock. There’s a lot of experimental moments, especially in the way she uses rhythms to console and comfort but also warp and distort. And her vocals, with its unpredictable emotional pulse and flighty flows keeps you going in. It has you reaching for perspective, meaning, and the story behind it. 

Some are dark and haunting, others are mystical and ethereal. And the mystery is so complex and simple at the same time; like poetry. In tracks like ‘Wuthering Heights’, ‘The Last Beat of my Heart’ and ‘Michelle’, we see melodic lifts into soundscape. They are enticing but in a warm and confessional way. 

In ‘I’m Deranged’, ‘Winter Moon’, and ‘The Cold Song’ you can sense the icy undertones. Intentionally set to alienate the listener, make them feel the boundaries and spaces that the protagonist occupies. 

‘You’re my Thrill’ and ‘Both Sides Now’ are more explorative. In terms of intention, like a stream of conscious thought that you are privy to. They float like buoyant clouds in the sky, allowing the listener into the amassing of ideas and layering of thoughts. 

All in all, it’s a unique album that’s for sure. The artist is not out there making music to have herself understood. It’s pure expression for the sake of it, not as a means to an end. To hold on to artistic integrity like this in the capitalistic music industry and consumerist space speaks to her authenticity as a musician and as a conceptual artist. Listen Now! 

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The album is available for streaming on popular sites like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music! 

You can listen to ‘Marzanna’ by Marianne Nowottny here -