The Astonishment is the Spoken Word readings of Russian born and raised L.A. transplant Marianna Limno. Following careers as a gymnast and model, Limno is now actively pursuing her passion for the arts through this outlet. Banana Sandwich appears to be her first release under this name.
As with any Spoken Word album, Banana Sandwich is a bit long-winded. It consists of 29 pieces ranging from 3-4 minutes to less than one minute in length. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that a good deal of the intrigue here is the heavy Russian accent Limno has. It’s an accent you aren’t used to hearing in the Spoken Word community. It certainly causes you some immediate interest in what she might have to say and the first few tracks certainly keep you on the edge of your seat with “African Lion Heart” (an ode to the majesty of the motherland), “Red, White, & 2 Blue” (an interesting observation on the ruling powers of Russia), and wonderful “Ebenezer” and “An American.”
After these initial powerhouse pieces though, the album slows down and begins to drag. “Eve Knows” and “Hooker” as well as “Chick First Rooster Follows” and “Essentially If” are rambling at best in my opinion. Whether it’s because some of the readings sound similarly inflected or simply that the subject matter (comparing a variety of things to women) starts wearing thin after awhile, I can’t say. The album does end on a high note however with “Phoenix” and the begging-to-be-put to funky music “Off the Wall.”
Overall, there is a lot to absorb here, from the accent to the subject matter, to the whole mystique of the album itself. Outside of Slam Poetry, I am not particularly well-versed in the world of Spoken Word but even with that handicap there is something wildly intriguing here that is worth meditating on.
The Astonishment maybe should have kept this EP length and only put on their very best shoes, but there is more than enough to satisfy curious readers here without feeling like you’ve been ripped off.
Reviewed by Mark Fisher
