mor eaze - sentence structure in the country - Thrill Jockey
Mari Maurice Rubio, based in Brooklyn, New York, returns to the American label Thrill Jockey with a new album, continuing her inquisitive musical journey through diverse soundscapes and moods. Always driven by mutual inspiration, she doesn’t embark on this journey alone. Following collaborations with Dntel, A.F. Jones & Steven Flato, and several albums with her close friend Claire Rousay, she has now teamed up with a select group of artists: Wendy Eisenberg on guitar, vocals, and piano; Alice Gerlach on cello; Henry Earnest on electric guitar; Jade Guterman on acoustic guitar; and Ryan Sawyer on drums. Together, they complement Rubio’s compositions on a remarkable piece of work that blurs the lines between Ambient, Folk, and Alternative Rock, exploring new paths across all these genres.
Developed over several years, the album’s ten tracks were deeply influenced by Rubio’s live performances as well as the contributions of her fellow musicians. It is a profoundly intimate release in which she processes both her musical heritage and personal transitions. The common thread is her signature sound—evolved over years—featuring well-crafted arrangements of warm, bubbling digital textures alongside her sweet, fragile, autotuned vocals. The record ventures in various directions, from warm Indie Pop (the producer) and spaced-out jams ("crunch the numbers") to more abstract pieces (leave again). Notably, her fiddle playing has moved far beyond traditional Country, yet subtle echoes of those roots remain audible, for instance on distance.
On most tracks, Rubio is joined by one or more collaborators, lending the pieces unexpected twists and a rich sonic depth. It is a testament to her artistry that she shows such restraint, allowing her guests the space to fully realize their own ideas. Dynamic drums shift the vibe toward warm Jazz jams (crunch the numbers), background vocals emphasize the lyrics ("fuck the pain" on healing attempt), and the cello rounds off the well-structured chaos of the title track. This is certainly not a lightweight feel-good record; leaving all warm elements aside, it contains dark elements and a playful willingness to experiment with dissonance and distortion. After nine tracks of varying dynamics and moods, more eaze brings the album to a close with "move"—a beautiful final chapter that is melancholic yet ultimately uplifting.
