https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5OFH5JRZC6YGhzuiL5s8IE?si=5113722efc42477e
Martina Playlist 22-03-26
Select Song Reviews
By Dee, Unsigned Reviews
Music Review: Martina, Top Class Entertainment, playlist on YouTube and Spotify
Jay Schraub | Takes some Getting Used to | Let Forever Be
What a nice song. Keyboards and guitars trading places in the mix is always an effective touch.
Zen Amitin | East and West
This piece of music has a pleasant melody spread over a number of instruments. Underneath lies a chill beat like a dewdrop bouncing on a morning leaf.
Charles Boulevard | Say Amen | Where the Bell Tolls Free
Off the top this song had my attention. “Amen” ?! who’s not going to wonder? Definitely a hard working tune bringing all the guitar hooks and slapping bass required for a healthy blood rush.
Barbie Will Dymond | Adjust the Sail
Very slippery guitar in this track and a thoughtful and evocative lyric. The vocal is steady and the melody unique. Easy listening. I would love to remix it. Good song. Excellent lead solo.
Sally Crosby | Where is my Mind?
Solid vocal! Good song choice for the Gibson too.
Oriental Defiance | David Porfirio
What doesn’t this piece of music have in it? The kitchen sink. That’s a joke. Very cool. I was drawn in from the start. This is a wonderful earful, with lots of musical lyrics woven inside. Something for everyone but not one size fits all.
Feel This Way | Divinium
Songs I wish I’d written. Solid production on this number. It reminds me of that excellent song that plays when the show’s over and the lights come up. Boom, here’s this voice and that drum beat so resonant. Have a feel of this if you trance, dance or like to romance. Great range and a well defined stereo field. Not breathless, but slick all the same.
Head in My Hands | Rebelphase
This is an electro-motional, euro-anthem that captures the essence of the vinyl dress. As this plays some kind of mirror ball lights up the room. The room is filled with dancers on the painted stumps of trees. The light shines through rose coloured office dividers. This song has music video all over it. I really enjoyed the vocal effects, whether they were doubled or echoed, it works. The lyric treatment has an unmistakable American influence, the defiance and the independence clearly demarcated and expressed.
Suffering | Dreadful Stranger
Dance, Eurobeat, suffering, darkness, cradles. Lots of energy in this song with a strong message about suffering.
True North | DiElle
Sweet chord progression on this with a steady vocal. When it’s time to cool the jets and let your toes stretch this is a good song to get into. Great returns on each of the stanzas with a well developed chorus. Wordy even. But it works! Production: acoustics up front with the vocal; and no bass; and some woodwind like backgrounds. Carefully composed folk.
Rock On Alexander Pope | GM Jon
Confident vocal and tightly played guitars bring this close to what I call Power Country. Class composition without a lot of surprises or obvious hook but the musical quality has a lot to say. This singer goes the full distance with a breathy vocal bordering on Joan Jett. All the trappings of a few great songs are present with this band. IMO
Expectation | Transdimensional Music
This composition is like Pipeline for intellectuals. I think the tempo is just fine for the sailing along feel of the melody.
Year of my Memory | Stonehocker
A close cousin to Americana, maybe called Americana +, is a great fit for this song. The smooth production and understated percussion let us hear the story, emphasized appropriately with thoughtful harmonies. A subtle build up past the half way mark brings us out of the country stooper to a pleasant ending, just in time.
Tea and Toast | Andrew Purcell
The mix on this is resonant of Kinks and Flaming Groovies. Nice lyric and a funky chorus-style refrain. Just long enough too.
Richest Man | Least we got shoes
Richest Man has the elements of a great radio tune for summer. Just a bit of a lead solo and a drop dead bridge and it’s a Stone’s song. Great message in the lyric as well.
The Burn | Most Epic Dream
Nice blending of styles rhythmically and vocally on this tune. The singer has a full-bodied range with some ‘styling’ annunciation. The mix on this captures each instrument at their best providing a great bed for the vocals including lead and harmonies. Lots of music tension in this, and a layered production that brings out the best in all the players.
