I wonder if Marlene Oak is a modest person.
I pondered this last night, after I listened to her debut single, “How Long”. I hope she isn’t modest, because she has some serious bragging rights after releasing a song of this caliber.
Ahem, excuse me…
She has some serious bragging rights after releasing a song of this caliber as her debut single! Yes, that is debut as in brand-spanking new. However, as I listened to “How Long”, I could tell that Ms. Oak is not anyone’s rookie. The young Swedish singer’s voice itself is an ode to the best that southern hospitality has to offer. I could see Marlene jamming on Beal Street, as easily as I could see her hypnotizing the crowd at the New Orleans’ House of Blues.
In fact, “How Long” would be right at home in the mysterious and Gothic appeal of Louisiana. If Bon Temps ever needs a replacement for Jace Everett’s “Bad Things”, this is it. Marlene’s debut would definitely have a home on Fangtasia’s jukebox! Her voice melds so well with Andreas Mattsson‘s production on this song, the instruments appear to be background singers to her lead vocal!
Joakim Wijk did an excellent job directing this video. The tone and scenery of the video capture the mood of the lyrics very well. I don’t know if Joakim meant to show it or not, but I love the irony of Marlene asking: “How long until he’s free?” as she sings in front of the church. To me, it’s as if this was the final attempt to get the ultimate intervention for the man she was singing about.
I can honestly say, I enjoyed this song and video. Even though this is a video premiere and not a review, this song deserves an “A+”. The only question I have for Marlene is, “How Long” do we have to wait to hear more?
Now, without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, AltWire presents…the WORLD premiere of Marlene Oak’s video for her debut single, “How Long”!
