This Is Our Jam: Black Marble, “Backwards” (NSFW)

What do mice, topless women, cats, birthday cake, and an axe have in common? After watching the video for Black Marble’s “Backwards,” I’m still not quite sure, but the gothic atmosphere and arresting visuals are enough to hold everything together. The Brooklyn band has immersed themselves in early post-punk and coldwave; think Joy Division’s chilly atmosphere with Suicide’s clickity-clack minimalism. It’s well-worn territory to be sure, but “Backwards” works as more than a genre exercise. Black Marble have a way of unearthing buried hooks, and the chiaroscuro of the video is a nicely spooky compliment. All together it’s catchy enough to make you want to chop wood naked in the forest. Or maybe not.