Many of the contemporary Czech alternative artists who have recorded for Indies Records have opted to perform in the Czech language exclusively. But
Maraca is among the exceptions to that rule; unlike other Indies releases,
The Body Is Too Slow for Me contains some songs in English as well as some songs in other languages. But then, including some English-language material is part of this band's multiculturalism, and it is one of the things that contributes to
Maraca's delightful unpredictability.
Maraca is by no means an easy band to categorize; this experimental CD is probably best described as Czech alternative rock or Czech avant-garde rock with elements of jazz, cabaret, and world music. Lead singer Gabriela Vermelho projects some of
Tori Amos' quirkiness and eccentricity, but
The Body Is Too Slow for Me is hardly a carbon copy of an
Amos album; in fact, it's not at all. There is a lot going on here: electric guitar, electric bass, and Hammond organ are heard alongside world music instruments ranging from the oud (an Arabic lute) to the didgeridoo (an instrument associated with Australian Aboriginals) to the Indian sitar. Indian musician Amit Chatterjee brings some raga flavor to the table, but elements of North African, Middle Eastern, East European, and Mediterranean music also assert themselves. Parts of this 2005-2006 recording are somewhat self-indulgent, but even then,
Maraca is highly musical, and all things considered, their creativity yields enjoyable results on
The Body Is Too Slow for Me. ~ Alex Henderson