As you walk towards the stage, you see floral garlands draped over the microphone and amps. You wonder, “Did I just walk into the Secret Garden?”. Ornate scarves are casually draped and dim lighting set the mood: you have entered Bohemia, and the leaders of this town are Lola Marsh.
I love Lola Marsh. I can’t fluff up their concert beyond the three word phrase, I love (insert here object of affection). They have this air to them that is picturesque. They play and appear like children of Mother Nature, with musical compositions that manage to bring mysticism to the daily humdrum of life. Hence, the magic of Lola Marsh is that they are so simple that become decorative. Their lyrical and instrumental aim is to make the routine seem more whimsical than ordinarily felt.
Yael Shoshana Cohen is the lead songstress/ siren of Lola Marsh. Her voice is like a wisp of sweet air being inhaled. She is so vocally potent, you receive the lyrics like, water quenching your thirst. Alright, that is enough analogies…. for now. Still, you have to use such imagery to describe her voice and her words because her singing origins are equally as imaginative. She claims that at 6 years old she heard an angelic voice in her mind, and it told her to sing. Since then, she knew her path to music was set on Heavenly stone. She even wrote Roses as an incredibly beautiful ode to that one blissful moment, when she discovered where life would take her. The words and airy guitar riffs elevate the celestial feel. My favorite lyrics being:
I was wanting to feel inspired
from the voice in my head
I was feeling tired
from the silence of daily trends
-Roses By Lola Marsh
That lyric, alone, moved my mind into a train of emotional, ethereal thoughts. Lola Marsh inspires people to go into their mind through a journeying sentiment. Songs like, Sirens and You’re Mine make you think you are going through a desert of self-reflection. Musically. they remind me of those classic 70’s “On The Road” tales of lost youth trying to regain hope for their existence. It may sound dramatic, but there is a sort of beautiful lostness to them. They add folk music’s notorious nomadic feel to the indie-pop genre. Thus, their hour on stage feels like a flood of vivid imagery and existential thoughts. Yet, you do not drown in this flood, you let yourself be taken by it.
You’re Mine/ Sirens
I have described Lola Marsh as an accepting flood of thoughts and emotions, but they can also make you sway and clap out of giddiness. Their newest track She’s A Rainbow makes you feel as if you literally are a rainbow, and, if you dance hard enough, you will produce skittles. It is one of their most infectious songs, and from the new tracks they previewed their new album will be as good as their last EP, You’re Mine.
For me, Lola Marsh was a perfect reminder of why live music is such a must. Songs really do take on a new life and meaning during a concert. As you see the band play with their hearts and smile back and forth towards each other, you remember that the song you hear in your iPod everyday is their life. The lyrics that move you are their story, and the compositions that musically wave through your soul came from their musicianship. Lola Marsh is one of the coolest reminders you can get of the love that goes into making music. For more information on this lovely band, Check Here.
