Marc Biala – “La Hora de Echidna” / “Parking Lot Wars”

Marc Biala – “La Hora de Echidna” / “Parking Lot Wars” – Singles Review

All good things, as they say…and you know how the rest of that saying goes…

I was doing my best throughout the last review or two of Marc Biala’s music that it might be time to put on the brakes a little bit…and I think we might have reached the tipping point here today.  It’s always hard to say for sure with this dude.  On the one hand, he puts out a consistent, high quality sound, that’s fully complete with professional production & sensational performances…so that’s like…well…obviously that’s a major positive.  On the other hand, he’s not only potentially oversaturating his own fan-base by making music at a rate that even his most dedicated would have trouble keeping up with, but with his own multi-lingual goals factored in as well, and the endlessly diverse nature of his sound splitting into new directions all the time…I dunno y’all…I applaud the creativity and his relentlessly inspired spark, but I’d readily acknowledge that it’s coming at a bit the cost of what could make his music more memorable.

As I put on “La Hora de Echidna,” I could feel the concerns creep in.  We’re talkin’ about another totally stellar performance from Marc, don’t get me wrong…but there’s part of me that started to wonder if he’s currently making an attempt to ride with the momentum of the Latin trend, or if this is the music that he genuine wants to make.  That’s the thing about Pop-inspired tunes y’all…whether they’re sung in Spanish, English, or otherwise, it doesn’t really matter – once you start to remove some of that sincerity from the mix in favor of being part of a more trend-based sound, in my opinion, you’re making a very risky trade.  Biala makes it nearly impossible to pick on much of what he does because he always puts 100% into his performances, and believe me, his efforts don’t go unnoticed here – but it does feel like he’s not quite playing to his strengths lately, so much as trying everything and anything that he can do.  To me, the guy’s most effective when he is tapping into his sincerity, his vocal melodies, and giving himself the space to really flex his tones & singing voice…that’s the version of Biala’s music I suppose I’m most impressed by if I had to pin it down.  “La Hora de Echidna” has the dude going full speed with his vocals, which are also buried in a ton of effects as well…and that’s kind of the opposite recipe for what I feel like creates the strongest connection between his voice and the listening ears out there.  Relevant sound?  Absolutely.  I’m not gonna dispute the fact that “La Hora de Echidna” is very much designed for what’s happening right now out there in the music scene.  Even how it shifts between two languages – that’s highly on-point and something listeners seem to really dig right now.  I might not fully understand that particular phenomenon, but for sure, it’s something that people are noticeably into all around the globe.  For what it’s worth, you can visually see in the video that Marc’s passion for making music never wanes, even if you can see a bit more concentration happening in place of his naturally smooth rhythm and flow.  It’s taking extra effort to sing en Español, and rightly so…if I recall correctly, he’s still learning the language and already seems like he’s mastered it – but it is taking away some of the organic ability to perform without thinking about what he’s performing – make sense?  He raps and sings in Spanish better than I speak English…so don’t get me wrong, there are still plenty of positives in what he’s doing when it comes to his ability to perform.  Does “La Hora de Echidna” have the kind of hooks that lead to longevity?  Again, I have my doubts.  I feel like Biala is trading away a bit of the identity in his sound in a push to create a constant stream of material…and like I said, that’s concerning.  It’s a good approach to get a quick hit of attention, but in terms of a longer career, it’s harder to say if what he’s doing will work.  I wanna hear a Marc Biala song and KNOW that it’s Marc Biala without question – and I’m not all that convinced that “La Hora de Echidna” can provide us with that.  Keep in mind, I only ever have singles for a short amount of time before I’m writing about them…but I’m not so sure that “La Hora de Echidna” is going to grow on me much more from this point forward.  The energy is great, the performance is good, I think the effects are a bit heavy handed, but the sound is relevant…I think all that’s really missing from “La Hora de Echidna” is a set of hooks that will hold up over time, and something fully identifiable in the sound that would tell our ears that what we’re listening to is unmistakably Marc Biala, and not anyone else.

I felt like things might have gotten even more problematic this time around with Marc’s music when it came to “Parking Lot Wars.”  Deep down, he knows just as much as I do that this is the sound of rushing things unnecessarily.  All-in-all, I felt like this was probably the first time where he surprised me a bit with the caliber of performance he’s got on the record here…parts of it are stellar, parts of it aren’t, and that leads him into what’s probably the most oddly uneven cuts I’ve heard from him to-date.  Where I feel like this is problematic is simply the fact that it seems like an unforced error…slowing things down in his rate of production will basically make sure he’s getting his best out there each and every time.  Now, don’t get me wrong…I KNOW that singing “Parking Lot Wars” is demanding because of its pace – but that very much makes my point even more on target…calm things down a bit Marc…it’s all about being ruthlessly objective with the material as you play it back, and if something doesn’t quite measure up, then get back in the booth and fix it up until it’s all as perfect as it can be.  It’s like I always say – if there isn’t a couple of large record executives with sharp sticks poking you in the ribs telling you to get that new single out there yesterday, then there’s no need to rush the process.  I hold Biala to the high standards he’s proven he can reach…I swear I’m not being unreasonable.  I’m nothing but fair – heck, I’d even tell ya he’s getting at least 95% of this track right where he’d want it to be…but it’s that 5% he’ll have to live with over the years to follow as a result of rushing things.  As a person that has personally damned themselves to that particular hell more times that I can count, believe me when I say, I wouldn’t wish that on anyone…so take your time & nail things as tight as tight can be.  He’s in an Indie/Pop/Emo gear on “Parking Lot Wars,” which works fairly well for him as a style overall…but I’m still not convinced he’s got the kind of hooks here that we’re all gonna remember in a couple months, or that he’s included enough Marc Biala in this Marc Biala song once again.  I don’t mind it…and I suppose I’d tell ya that of the two tracks, “Parking Lot Wars” sounds a little more appealing to me.  As far as what he’s chosen to write about here…I almost don’t even know what to say.  It is…thematically on-point…I guess?  Honestly, I have no idea if there are enough people out there that would connect to “Parking Lot Wars” and Biala’s gym-focused song about gains and carbs and dumbbells and snacks.  Maybe?  I feel like this is borderline unrelatable for the majority of listeners out there…and that should probably be a bit of a concern Marc!  I’m never gonna be the guy to suggest you should write about interests outside of your own, but you do kinda have to find a way to meet in the middle where listeners have the opportunity to understand what they’re listening to is all about…and this felt a bit out of reach.  This felt a bit like the Pop anthem for Bros…and I don’t know how many Bros are really even looking for one of those, you feel me?  Again, I like the energy Marc puts into the moment…but I do think he needs to slow things down overall, and refocus on what makes his songwriting connect to us, and what makes it as memorable as it can be. “Parking Lot Wars” is fun and playful…and there’s a time & place for that too…but at the end of the day, it feels like these two tracks from Marc Biala are drifting a bit further away from the gains he wants to make with his music career…and it’s probably best to regroup, recalibrate, and get back to the drawing board.

Find out more about Marc Biala at his official Instagram page:  https://www.instagram.com/loyminglee

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