Dom Martin almost crept into the UK scene, playing (very) low key dates, mainly solo acoustic, and gradually building a following. It is a tactic that has worked because the people that have heard him and met him have pretty much all fallen for the charm and the huge musical talent that is Dom Martin. Along the way, he has amassed an incredible list of awards and nominations.
The sheer intensity and burning power of the music in this album is almost shocking. His music leaps out at you from the speakers with claws bared and fangs dripping with venom, his voice has all the hurt and careworn emotion of a cornered cat: make no mistake, this is music that affects the listener, in all sorts of ways and all of them good.
You may try to put this on in the background but there is no chance that you'll keep it there – it almost demands your full attention.
Martin makes no secret of his love for the music of Rory Gallagher and John Martyn and I detect the feel of Robin Trower and a certain James Marshall Hendrix in some of his playing but it is in no way derivative – make no mistake, this is Dom Martin all the way.
Different tracks have a very different feel. The single ‘Echoes’ is deep and beautiful, ghostly and emotive, while ‘Addict’, a sorry tale of a young and lost girl, has the feeling of coming from personal experience. ‘Unsatisfied’, which opens the album, is slow and dark, massively intense and with an absolutely great guitar solo – one of those solos that actually tells the story, not just a guitar wank. ‘Blues On The Bay’ is a pure and warm-blooded Blues, beautifully played and with the kind of soul that Peter Green made his own. ‘The Man From Nowhere’ is a delightful frippery, autobiographical I suggest, played on what seems to be an ancient resonator and with a real wry smile about it. One of my favourite tracks is ‘12 Gauge’ – just a blast of Blues rock with nothing held back.
No weak numbers, no filler, no “better add this one, the fans like it” – every track shows another facet of Dom Martin and every facet is a gem.
