courtesy photo

words by Chance Solem-Pfeifer

When Michael Todd and I first heard the songs from Everything Happens For The First Time, they were still growing, clawing and maturing into the spaciness of Eli Mardock’s debut solo record.

Mardock stopped by the KRNU studios in the spring of 2011 to play acoustic versions of “King of the Crickets,” “Hold On” and “Algebra and the Moon.” Even then, Mardock was clear that the demos were much different than his guitar fingerpicking let on. They’d been changing ever since their creation. Some of the songs even predated the breakup of Mardock’s old band, Eagle Seagull, in 2010.

Everything Happens For the First Time comes of the heels of two solo EPs from Mardock — Hamburg and NE Sorrow Is Born — in the last year. The full-length was released physically on July 20 and became available digitally on Paper Garden Records on Aug. 6.

With predominant synth tones and fluid soundstages, Everything Happens For The First Time straddles an intriguing line between hazy trance music and the snappy pop sensibilities that define the title track and rope the listener into well-timed choruses.

Listen to the full album review podcast here:

"Everything Happens For The First Time" by Eli Mardock | Album Review Podcast

Chance Solem-Pfeifer is Hear Nebraska’s staff writer. He thinks this record would be a good choice on vinyl. Reach him at chancesp@hearnebraska.org.