by Russ Marshalek

The powerhouse (no pun intended) duo that is Barry and Sarah Gilbey, the husband-and-wife team that makes up Mara, finally release their first full-length LP, and it proves that good things come to those who wait. Running from the subtle emotions of light, downtempo house ("Turning It On") to the fury of the near-speed garage that is the thundering new version of "Desanitize" (think that bassline couldn't get any rougher? Think again), Mara's If You Only Knew shows both their strength and growth as prog house staples, as well as their burgeoning breakbeat influence. What has always served as a powerful undercurrent to Mara's sound, however, is Sarah Gilbey's massive lyrical and vocal prowess; If You Only Knew allows her to shine on all levels, both on monsters like the title track and on the disarmingly pretty closing of the album, as the jazzy lullaby-ballad of "Peace" fades away into an acoustic version of Mara's anthem "One". All in all, If You Only Knew presents a gorgeous, melodic, at times dark, but always hopeful picture of what has become simply "the Mara sound."

Mara - If You Only Knew
Choo Choo

Track Listing:

1. If You Only Knew
2. Turning It On
3. Desanitize
4. Snoodle
5. Satisfy Me
6. 1974
7. One (144)
8. Shake That Thing
9. Computer Beats
10. Heretic
11. Peace