Marionette returns with incredible assuredness on their new single, "Dancing", a tribal indie showcase of a band on the rise, from one of the UK's most intriguing prospects. Borne from the same nocturnal creative energy that fuels some of their sharpest ideas, the song continues the band's love affair with nailing down a sharp hook and a distinctive melody, alongside woozy charm redolent of Mini Mansions. And yet "Dancing" isn't just an impression, it is Marionette clearing their own unique way with style.
Having just completed a victorious headline slot in the capital and following an exciting run of support slots across the South Wales scene, their confidence is tangible. And "Dancing" is wonderfully simple and beautifully rhythmic, a reminder that this is a band that knows exactly when to bring up the groove and then take it away for maximum impact. It has a burnished sense of urgency that could've come straight from The Strokes' precision and The Bravery's grandeur, but Marionette grounds it in their own fresh, modern identity.
The track sounds like the 2 am you were conceived in, because that's when our planet is quiet enough to process odd ideas with proper clarity. Basslines are slinky, guitars are confidently nuanced, and songs tread the perfect line between dreamy indie charm and upfront alternative attitude.
With "Dancing," Marionette is not simply adding to their catalog, they are honing the edges of their artistic structure. It's a confident, stylish step forward in the territory they're rapidly colonising in South Wales and further afield. If this is the path they are going to follow, we need a very watchful non-governmental sector.