THE BARON VON MARLON – OF FLORA AND FAUNA EP REVIEW

Occasionally – just occasionally – reviewers say things their subjects don’t quite approve of. Who’d have thought it?

Gay Dad, the self proclaimed saviours of late 90s rock and roll, probably couldn’t see what all the fuss was about when all the non-plussed reviews came in. They most likely thought there was another band called Gay Dad out there and everyone was getting them confused. Poor loves.

But even when the review is fairly upbeat and positive, you’ll find disagreements: such as this reviewer’s comparison between The Baron Von Marlon and one Pete Doherty. Shaun Hinton, the band’s front man is yet to be convinced.

While Shaun Hinton and band mates don’t have quite the colourful reputation of Kate Moss’ jail frequenting, recreational drug dependent ex (yet!), there does remain a clear similarity in the vocal department between Hinton and Doherty.

The Baron Von Marlon is the brainchild of the aforementioned Hinton on guitar and vocals with a line up of Andrew Lane on violin, glockenspiel and keyboard, Tom Smith on bass and Rob Simpson on drums and backing vocals. The sound is heavily folk influenced with traces of Americana seeping through.

The band’s debut EP, “Of Flora and Fauna” is a deceptive affair. For all its jauntiness and apparent humour (witness lines like “I’ve been wearing several pairs of socks/to fill out your shoes” and the “ha ha ha” lyrics in the final track), this is a rather melancholic offering.

“Astronaut” is all about childhood dreams, pushy parents and the misunderstandings you’ll find in families: “his parents have just that for him the sky’s the limit/but they don’t understand what they’re saying”.

It’s this theme of the perils of conformity and the intervention of fate that fills the EP. “Crack in the City Lights” considers how fortune informs the decisions you make: “fate’s got a funny way of saying that he’s sorry.”

Meanwhile “Formaldehyde” gives fate the finger. The song’s lyrics which form the EP’s title, “flora and fauna” refer to the book and film “Into the Wild” based on the true story of a young man who put his wealthy life behind him to live in the wild in America.

The song is a protest against conformity. To live as you are expected to means to be in a “deep sleep” where your body is in a “state ready to be embalmed in formaldehyde”. It’s better, The Baron Von Marlon argues, to be living as a free spirit, open to soul enriching experiences.

“Several Pairs of Socks” also considers conformity – or filling someone’s shoes, as the song’s theme runs. Here, conformity is, once again, unwanted – an uncomfortable experience.

Even in the choice of cover version (as found on the hard copies of the EP), the band highlight their discomfort with meeting expectations and matching the status quo. Their relatively faithful rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice” (differing only in the addition of a violin solo), covers the same ideas: moving on and leaving comfort behind.

The Baron Von Marlon have created a fine EP in “Of Flora and Fauna”. It’s thoughtful, yet witty, matching well written lyrics with great tunes. And with sales already doing well, they are well placed to start work on a follow up effort.

Find out more about The Baron Von Marlon at www.facebook.com/thebaronvonmarlon.