martha wainwright
Avoiding the sophomore slump
by Brittany Kemp/A&E editor
The Wainwright Family should not be allowed to be this talented. First Loudon and Kate McGarrigle, then big brother Rufus.
Add to that Martha’s recent solo successes; her 2005 self-titled debut was a small critical triumph. Her most recent effort, “I Know You’re Married But I’ve Got Feelings Too” put forth in May, does nothing but elevate her own stature in the music world. It isn’t much of a departure from “Martha Wainwright,” but it is more of an adult handling of some of the subjects she wrestled, with a little less angst.
It starts on a deceptively positive note, with a song more cheerful-sounding than anything called “Bleeding All Over You” has any right to be.
In it, she observes that a former lover, having moved on, has “cow [poop] for brains and love in your heart.” Nice!
Part of Wainwright’s appeal, at least for some, is her wry way with words, and nowhere else so evident as the album’s title. In “Jesus and Mary” she serves throwdowns like no other chanteuse. Half the time the listener is left smirking with her, and the other half they are flattened into submission.
The main draw for many will be her weapon of an unusual voice, though. It somersaults from pitch to pitch, from comforting sigh to a condemning warble. It will ingrain itself in your brain, like a knife carving her name in your grey matter. It is reminiscent of an early Tori Amos, but not as breathy. At other times, Stevie Nicks.
There is a balance between the limits of experimentation (which, to drop yet another name, brings to mind the work of Kate Bush) and the confines of sometimes boring folk-pop. She manages to walk that tightrope, and the lasting result is a surprisingly listenable album, if you’re up for it, save a few spare moments. “The George Song” though, despite help from Rufus, is a bit of a letdown.
However, for every disappointment there are at least two successes. “The Tower Song,” for example, departs blissfully from the norm into its own ethereal beauty. She takes on two impressive covers: Pink Floyd’s “See Emily Play” and The Eurythmics’ “Love is a Stranger.”
Most of the family makes an appearance including her new husband, Brad Albetta, who helped produce it.
Even the legendary Pete Townshend drops by to play guitar on “You Cheated Me” and “Comin’ Tonight.” You may be too distracted by Martha’s voice and words on love wrecks to notice. She is a jilted ex-girlfriend, come for revenge in the middle of the night. You want her to stick around, though. You want her to sing. One of the certain must-hears of 2008.
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This was published on September 11, 2008.
by Brittany Kemp/A&E editor
The Wainwright Family should not be allowed to be this talented. First Loudon and Kate McGarrigle, then big brother Rufus.
Add to that Martha’s recent solo successes; her 2005 self-titled debut was a small critical triumph. Her most recent effort, “I Know You’re Married But I’ve Got Feelings Too” put forth in May, does nothing but elevate her own stature in the music world. It isn’t much of a departure from “Martha Wainwright,” but it is more of an adult handling of some of the subjects she wrestled, with a little less angst.
It starts on a deceptively positive note, with a song more cheerful-sounding than anything called “Bleeding All Over You” has any right to be.
In it, she observes that a former lover, having moved on, has “cow [poop] for brains and love in your heart.” Nice!
Part of Wainwright’s appeal, at least for some, is her wry way with words, and nowhere else so evident as the album’s title. In “Jesus and Mary” she serves throwdowns like no other chanteuse. Half the time the listener is left smirking with her, and the other half they are flattened into submission.
The main draw for many will be her weapon of an unusual voice, though. It somersaults from pitch to pitch, from comforting sigh to a condemning warble. It will ingrain itself in your brain, like a knife carving her name in your grey matter. It is reminiscent of an early Tori Amos, but not as breathy. At other times, Stevie Nicks.
There is a balance between the limits of experimentation (which, to drop yet another name, brings to mind the work of Kate Bush) and the confines of sometimes boring folk-pop. She manages to walk that tightrope, and the lasting result is a surprisingly listenable album, if you’re up for it, save a few spare moments. “The George Song” though, despite help from Rufus, is a bit of a letdown.
However, for every disappointment there are at least two successes. “The Tower Song,” for example, departs blissfully from the norm into its own ethereal beauty. She takes on two impressive covers: Pink Floyd’s “See Emily Play” and The Eurythmics’ “Love is a Stranger.”
Most of the family makes an appearance including her new husband, Brad Albetta, who helped produce it.
Even the legendary Pete Townshend drops by to play guitar on “You Cheated Me” and “Comin’ Tonight.” You may be too distracted by Martha’s voice and words on love wrecks to notice. She is a jilted ex-girlfriend, come for revenge in the middle of the night. You want her to stick around, though. You want her to sing. One of the certain must-hears of 2008.
-
This was published on September 11, 2008.
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