Eymarel: It Takes Two
Chris Currie
It takes two.

It takes two to love, two to agree, two to conceive children....on and on, life is full of "two"s. Wonderous music can be made by innumerable amounts of musicians, but, in the case of Eymarel, it only takes two.

First, Mary Frances and Lee Allen loved. Then they agreed to share their music. Then, they began to conceive children, one brilliant song at the time. Like children, each song has its own distinct personality; one might be a bit more unruly and funky than another, while one might be more emotional yet laid back. Nevertheless, each child still has the undeniable traits of its parents and their individual and collective influences.

Eymarel's songs are an eccentric blend of old funk, new groove, hip beats, and pop melodies performed with dynamic old school musicianship coupled with the most modern technology and sampling to complete the newest, freshest, yet warmly familiar sound music lover's of any genre will immediately recognize as something we've been missing.

The sincerity of Eymarel's message of unity and positivity, if ever questioned, is immediately established when Mary Frances begins to sing. She pours her heart into each lyric, every note and melody. In songs like "Fly" her husky voice flows seamlessly from lower range verses at times verging on whispers to the emotionally charged upper register climax that leaves us chilled. In "2:17" we are soothed by her effected falsetto and simultaneously challenged by the message and contrasted upbeat rhythm. As with all Eymarel's songs, we are left stunned that Mary is doing all that at once; heartfelt, virtuoso singing while playing genuine bass lines and compelling rhythm and lead melodies on the keys. Lee Allen's drumming is a chameleon; changing from rock to hip-hop to jazz to folk to funk; sometimes all within one song. His sampling and programming are at times amusing, other times thought provoking, but, always dead-on to the mood and message of each song.

Their song "Stronger" is a thoroughly emotional, mesmerizing instrumental. "Screened In" challenges the listener's dependence on technology to find fulfillment as well their belief that there are only two in this band. "Into You" is an instant new/classic pop song written for today's music scene with an aged flavor. "What's Your Way" is that dark child with the sub-low hip sound that beckons for us to believe.

As for me, I believe in the power and music of two....Mary and Lee....Eymarel.