"Marilyn Carino sings about troubled longings and bleak surreal visions, while Ben Rubin surrounds her melancholy voice with brooding, minor-key tracks that start with electric piano and venture into smoky, ominous lounge ... more »territory, somewhere between Fiona Apple and Morcheeba." -Jon Pareles, New York Times« less
"Marilyn Carino sings about troubled longings and bleak surreal visions, while Ben Rubin surrounds her melancholy voice with brooding, minor-key tracks that start with electric piano and venture into smoky, ominous lounge territory, somewhere between Fiona Apple and Morcheeba." -Jon Pareles, New York Times
CD Reviews
Glorious Mudville
watchyerhead | NYC, USA | 06/04/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Like some exotic spa bath, "The Glory of Man..." is a stimulating mix of creaminess and grit. Mudville have managed to create a vibe that pulses and throbs with real vitality and a whole lotta sweet soul, thanks to the absolutely sensuous, yet absolutely butch sounds emanating from singer Marilyn Carino. The songs here are full of life. While lyrically a bit impressionistic, they're all about hope and lust and color and a slap in the face to apathy. The sound is a clever mix of samples and live tracks, and the excellence of the musicianship and use of instruments such as standup bass, trumpet and piano makes it sound like a jazz record from some funky future. I was desperately looking for something different and genuinely GOOD. "The Glory of Man..." really turned me on."
Just what I needed
Kevin McAllister | Chicago, IL | 09/27/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The reviewer who described Mudville as "creaminess and grit" had it cold. The songs on this CD are both lyrically beautiful and sonically intriguing, more so with repeated listens. There's really nothing like it. Trip-hoppers will surely relate, but this ain't no fluffy, boring-ass trip-hop. My favorite track is "Othello", a cautionary tale with a dark, syncopated groove. Mudville is intimate, sultry and grown-up, this CD was obviously made by people with a lot of experience playing actual music on real instruments. Check it out."
Muscular
Jan-san | Brooklyn, USA | 02/25/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I really like this music. I'm usually more about hip-hop but I'm really getting into this girl's words! "Poets on Parade" doesn't know it but is a righteous rap. "The Hero of the World" made me listen and sway. Producer Ben Rubin puts it all in a lovely world. I'd like to hear "Blown" remixed with a bit more drive, it could be even sexier. The girl Marilyn Carino sings like the open ocean - check out "Pray" and try not to shiver."
Get this CD, there's nothing like it
Greg H. | Boston, MA USA | 05/14/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Like all the best music, Mudville takes several listens to really be appreciated. It's definitely downtempo, and wouldn't sound out of place next to a trip-hop band, but it's way more intense and interesting to experience. Its electronic, its jazz and its blues and Marilyn Carino's voice swoops over and into you - great stuff."
Deep and satisfying
lucegoose | New York, NY United States | 05/14/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I stumbled upon Mudville at a show in New York and was incredibly surprised by how moved I was listening to them. I bought the CD and can't get it off the player. Marilyn Carino's voice is tough and haunting and the beats and sounds are both forward and retro at the same time. I like this music for a solitary evening, not so much for chilling but for getting deeply lost in one's own thoughts."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1