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David Martin - Debut Album ReviewUS Singer David Martin Releases His Debut 'Something in Your Eyes'
Mixed by much-respected Jeff Juliano, North Dakota singer-songwriter David Martin impresses with self-produced debut 'Something In Your Eyes' on Astonish Entertainment
Indie With A Classic SlantThe singer-songwriter niche has taken a bit of a knock recently. Artists that were acclaimed on their debut, such as James Blunt and Daniel Powter, have had to watch as initial success and critical acclaim has changed to a sometimes vicious backlash. Faced with this oft-fickle audience, it takes either a brave soul or someone with extreme talent to overcome this scepticism. Luckily, David Martin is both. With his self-produced debut Something In Your Eyes, Martin has managed to do what so many others often try but fail – write a collection of songs that are commercial enough to please the radio masses, yet still retain an air of independence about them. Although barely more than a quarter of a century old, he has infused his music with sincerity not really felt since the classic song-writing era of the late 70’s and early 80’s, and injected them with a modern slant with just the right amount of edginess. By rights, the album shouldn’t really succeed. Stripped down to its bare bones, it’s a ten-chapter love letter to his wife, and as such, could quite easily find itself suffering the same fate as James Blunt’s Back To Bedlam, critically at least. However, whereas many potential fans are put off by Blunt’s saccharine tones, the same cannot be said of David Martin. The theme may be love but the delivery is sheer raw power. Friends In High PlacesThe first single to be released, and the title track itself, Something In Your Eyes is as accomplished an introduction to a debut that any new artist could hope for. With a hint of legendary Don Henley running through the track, it’s a beautifully arranged song that allows Martin’s voice to show both its pop awareness, as well as its indie credibility. When he sings ‘do you remember / the heat of December / and the way we walked / through pouring rain and endless talk’, it also shows his mastery in the way the strength of even the simplest lyric can embolden a song. Our Love is a strong continuation of the first single, and here Martin mixes a Southern feel with an almost Bruce Hornsby sounding piano arrangement. With guitar work from Neil Robins of the Dirt Poor Robins, and eclectic drumming from the legendary Manu Katche of Sting and Peter Gabriel fame, it’s indie pop at its finest. A Voice And A WhimYet as strong as these two opening songs are both musically and lyrically, the album is lifted to another level with I Can’t Imagine. The story behind the writing of the album is a long one, and one for another day; suffice to say, it’s the product of love in its purest form overcoming all, and nowhere is this felt more than in I Can’t Imagine. With his voice at perhaps its most vulnerable, and Martin imploring ‘when the stars are all that we can share / when we’re forced to breathe in different air / I can’t imagine my life without you’, you feel the depth of feeling and can’t but help to be drawn into its narrative. Indeed, this is true of each track on Something In Your Eyes. Whether it’s on the faster songs such as I Will Love You, with a touch of Desmond Child in its construction, or the beautiful Connected, with its almost whimsical feel, David Martin invites the listener into a world both private and open. It’s a brave thing to do, and on occasions the subject matter may be a little too personal, but the songs sound all the better for it. Force De MajeurPerhaps it’s the final song on the album that offers a glimpse of why this album may succeed where others have failed. With glorious harmonies adding a tinge of the dramatic, To You is four minutes of sheer celebration, allowing Martin to stretch his vocal range in a song that is at once immediate and fulfilling. If Maroon 5 never make another album, the natural successor is right here. From Sting to Bernie Taupin, the best songwriters always managed to make you feel their songs were written for you and you alone. With Something In Your Eyes, David Martin joins these artists as a major song-writing force, and one for whom the current promotional tour of America is surely the obligatory launch pad to the rest of the world.
The copyright of the article David Martin - Debut Album Review in Indie Music is owned by Danny Brown. Permission to republish David Martin - Debut Album Review in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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