Leigh Marble is a Portland, Oregan phenom, on his third indie released album, Where The Knives Meet Between The Rows, one of the more intense experiences of the year.
Just released, it is an astouding collection of hard rocking but emotionally devastating sounds, stuff like "Holden" and "Pony" -an old 1-2 in the middle of the album is really strong.
The album, dubbed in his press release "a symbolic triumph over his wife's battle with cancer", the word symbolic is accurate, the battles are not so straight forward.
It is a really good album (except for a blues song here and there) and a reward for a battle well fought… and unfortunately still being fought. I will let the Press release tell the story:
"The album, which found Marble delving deeper into an indie-fied spectrum of soundscapes and experimentation, was a cathartic work written in the wake of his wife's battle with cancer several years prior. However, before the album's release and the birth of their child, he and Elena would learn that her cancer was back.
"Elena had originally been diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2007, while Marble was finishing production on his sophomore release Red Tornado. She began a crash course of cancer treatments, starting with chemotherapy and followed later by aggressive surgery to remove the known tumor sites. After that difficult year, her cancer was considered to be in remission.
"Fast forward to March of 2012 — just prior to Where The Knives Meet Between The Rows' release and with Elena seven months pregnant. Persistent arm pain led to a biopsy, which revealed breast cancer cells growing in Elena's lymph nodes. Somehow, the cancer had returned.
On Friday, April 13, 2012, Elena gave birth to the couple's healthy baby girl. Mere weeks later, she had to once again start an aggressive course of cancer treatment."
Leigh has cancelled his summer to help his wife through this fresh battle and mores the pity. Nothing about this situation leaves anything but a bad taste in your mouth.. Well, almost nothing… there is the baby girl!