You may not immediately know the name, but once you hear the voice you may instantly recognize Caithlin De Marrais. Caithlin is the former lead singer of the now sadly defunct Rainer Maria. She has just released her debut solo record My Magic City, and while it may be far from the driving, guitar-driven sounds of Rainer Maria, it is an album highly deserving of your attention.
My Magic City is a very stripped-down and mellow collection of songs recorded basically on-the-fly with some of Caithlin’s closest friends and favorite musicians. The recording of My Magic City was all improvised with nobody having heard the songs until recording had begun.
We made the record wherever we happened to be, making music in a fire-ravaged church in Brooklyn, a rustic cottage in upstate New York, and several Brooklyn apartments including my own. There was no sound isolation, not much in the way of overdubs. We cued one another with eye contact, everyone playing together. I sang the songs live in the room as the musicians were playing them. You can hear the warmth and affection of the sessions in the songs themselves.
That warmth and affection is apparent from start to finish. Best of all, Caithlin’s beautiful and instantly recognizable voice is in top shape and brings back many memories of just what made Rainer Maria the seminal band they were.
Listen to:
“Play Fair”
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“Sparrow”
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To stream the whole album and buy a copy, head over here. My Magic City is out now on End Up Records.