Julia Marcell – It Might Like You Review

I was fortunate to recieve Julia Marcell’s debut album “It Might Like You” from my sources since I’d never heard of the singer/songwriter from Poland before. My goodness was I in for a treat! As the first artist to have a release care of sellaband.com she had a big set of shoes to fill and fill them she does with this piano laden trinket.

Starting with “Put Your Headphones On” you are treated to a short introductory ambience piece before “Outer Space” crawls upon you with infectious piano riffs and dramatic strings sections in the choruses. Julia’s voice has a certain twang to it that is both wise and intimate. This song pounds towards you and introduces you to the little quirks in Marcell’s songwriting that sets her apart from many others.

“The Story” is all about its tension in its plucking and harpooning string arrangements that juxtaposes the whispery performance of Julia’s vocals that gradually builds to its grand climax – a fantastic song. “Married to Life” is a more poppier song after its long introduction. It’s like a happy Disney number that’s having a mid life crisis. The production here (which is the same throughout) stands out on this track as it sounds almost like everything’s been recorded live in one take – one song after the other. It could annoy you as you can hear creaks and pops from the floor and piano but it also can sound like a concert performed just for you.

“Billy Elliot” is probably the most single-esque track with its percussion and uplifting tune. Its beauty is in its simplicity. “Dancer” however eclipses it completely with a perfect waltz song that really showcases all of Julia’s bucketloads of talent. If you’re looking to sample her music, this is a perfect starting place as it represents all her album in one track.

“Side Effects of Growing Up” is a strange track with some fun lyrics but it may have been better given say a Vanessa Carlton feel – it would have really been a big hit. It’s not that its not a great track, its just that its the most straightforward track in terms of chords and song structure yet its got the most non-commerical arrangement.
“Words Won’t Save You” is another tense track using piano and string intertwined to create a beautiful soundscape for Julia to cement in however “Carousel” is the most gorgeous track on the album. Julia’s piano playing is exceptional with an endless melody of swirling keys and some memorable sections that are world class. A definate favourite.

The album then closes with the excellent “Fear of Flying” which has the best freakout of the album along with the best pizzacato string riff I’ve heard for a long while and “Night of the Living Dead” which is euphoric and triumphant and marks a definate shift in the overall feel of the album.

Julia Marcell really bursts onto the music scene with this debut major release. She has a lovely voice, interesting artistic flair and some killer hooks in her songs. What’s not to love?