Much like Pure Bathing Culture, The Mary Onettes are another band that I’m obligated to write about whenever they release new music.
Nearly two years have passed since Philip Ekström and his bandmates have released any new music, but “Tears to an Ocean” is exactly what you want from a new Mary Onettes single. The ’80s-isms of their earlier recordings aren’t quite so obvious here (sax solo notwithstanding), but the song is still replete with ringing guitar melodies and Ekström’s plaintive voice and lyrics.
It’s been more than ten years since the Swedes’ last proper album — 2014’s Portico — and in recent years, they’ve been largely content to release singles. As much as I’d love for Ekström et al. to record and release a new album, I’ll take any new music that they deign to bless us with.