28. October 2025
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Media Review

Marissa Burwell – Before The Hour’s Up

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

Marissa Burwell - Before The Hour's Up

Marissa Burwell - Before The Hour's Up
4.7

Rating

 4.7/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Lovely storytelling
  • Intimate singer-songwriter style

I ran into Before The Hour’s Up on a music promotion platform. In parallel, I also received the folk–pop album directly through the promoter. I really liked the sophomore release as of 29th August 2025 by the Canadian artist. Thus, I had to share my thoughts with you.

 

Marissa Burwell – About The Artist

Marissa Burwell is a Canadian artist, who grew up in Regina in Saskatchewan. Her music is influenced by folk, pop and indie-rock elements. In 2019, she started to release music with a self-titled debut EP. In 2022, she released her debut album Bittersweet. Especially the song Francis drew some attention.

 

Marissa Burwell – Before The Hour’s Up – Track by Track

The nine track album lasts 36 minutes.

1. Inside Out

I can’t give you what you want anymore but
I admittedly still want a truce
Do you want to hear about him from me or should I — wait to hear from you?

The album opens with Inside Out. The song is already setting the direction for the album. Burwell’s fine voice leads to an intimate, very gentle listen. The emotional song is very personal and relatable. I’ve stuck it out, I know my reasons inside out – you feel with the Canadian lady.

2. Minneapolis

Minneapolis is one of three songs which have been released before the album. While many songs have a sad or thoughtful note, this one is about a happy weekend with friends in… Minneapolis. There are also some emotional moments like Cried in the Mall of America or It’s platonic, how ironic, that it hurts so much to go in the song. But overall, it is a warming, lovely homage to a memorable time with good people.

3. Say It Again

The three songs picked as feature single are presented one after the other. The song is about a fading friendship. The chats do not work out any more, feel tiring. I wanting more, more than an end – but the split feels inevitable. Marissa Burwell’s way of presenting her stories feels like a perfect match for that.

4. Tell Me When It Rains

The fourth song of Before The Hour’s Up is Tell Me When It Rains. The song is about a long-distance relationship. More and more, you separate from each other. Burwell asks, Can I love you less or any more, is it determined by where you are? A very touching, melancholic view about a slow, but steady break-up, which leads to a sad, but lovely listen.

5. Tight Grip

Letting things go is looking appealing
Letting me know is hurting my feelings
Trying too hard has got me embarrassed
Want to be loved by more than my parents

Tight Grip is one of two songs, which just exceeds a duration of five minutes. Burwell is reflecting about her musical career. It is a lasting struggle – or Will I spend my life asking what could have been? who she states it in the lyrics. The melodic style of the song is not too exciting, but this underlines the self-reflection in this song. I love her for sharing these very personal thoughts.

6. Reality

The press kit of the album states that Reality and the eighth song of the album, Everything, share the some story from different perspective. It is about when pain and struggle is increasing that much so that you cannot keep quiet any more. I want you to say what you did to me, she states. Things look different between the reality of them and me. The song is a bit more rocking, which suits to the anger and struggle reflected in this 3:11 minute track.

7. Poplar Tree

Between these two sides of a story, there is Poplar Tree – at least in regards of the order of songs. The song is about a loss of a person, you admired more than realistically your connection has been. Or Can’t put a poster on the wall with your face and a number to call as the lyrics state. The song is much more than an interlude, but it also works well in that role between Reality and Everything.

8. Everything

It’s not enough
to tell me
you’re sorry
You can’t go back
to rewrite
your story

Silence becomes more angry in this part of the story. It starts quiet and slow and gains significantly more energy towards the end, when Burwell states I don’t want to be a prisoner in this bed. An impressing song.

9. Before The Hour’s Up

The album Before The Hour’s Up is closing with its title track. Burwell wrote this song after a therapy session, seeking for orientation about life. It feels like the perfect ending of the story of this album. The longest track of the record allows for a lot of self-reflection. Tell me who I am or Scared of where I’m going illustrate the strife and aimlessness. This song is such a lovely piece of storytelling!

 

Marissa Burwell – Before The Hour’s Up – Spotify

Here is the album on Spotify:

 

Marissa Burwell – Before The Hour’s Up – My View

Wow, I really loved listening to Before The Hour’s Up. If you are looking for complex arrangements and melodies, Marissa Burwell might not be the right choice for you. But her very personal storytelling is striking. This leads to a beautiful singer-songwriter style album in the folk area. I absolutely recommend a listen.

Favorite Song: Tight Grip

 

Marissa Burwell – Germany & UK Shows 2025

Right after album release, Marissa Burwell is heading to Germany and the United Kingdom for a couple of shows:

Th 04.09.2025 Lübeck (Germany) – Tonfink
Fr 05.09.2025 Stade – Seminarturnhalle
Sa 06.09.2025 Maintal Bischofsheim – Boulodrome
Su 07.09.2025 Herdecke – The Shakespeare Pub
Mo 08.09.2025 Raesfeld – Schloss Raesfeld
We 10.09.2025 Dresden – Blue Note
Th 11.09.2025 Hamburg – Locke
Fr 12.09.2025 Kiel – Prinz Willy
Su 14.09.2025 London (United Kingdom) – The Gladstone Arms
Mo 15.09.2025 Newcastle – Little Buildings
Th 18.09.2025 Hamburg (Germany) – Reeperbahn Festival / Uwe

 

 

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