ARTSETC.
Powerfully sentimental
Looking for a print version?
Simply choose ‘Print’ on your computer and a printer-friendly document will be generated.
Also by Will Gartside:
- Horrifying rentals for Hallow's Eve (October 28, 2004)
- Delicious DVD for 'Deadly Outlaw' (October 21, 2004)
- Horror film with finesse (October 14, 2004)
- Powerfully sentimental (October 11, 2004)
- Moore's heated DVD release (October 8, 2004)
Related Stories:
- Baby Dee steps 'outside' box, herself on latest (January 21, 2008)
- New Martin cd dead on arrival (November 1, 2005)
- Amos splits personality (May 4, 2007)
- Holly Brook's debut average (March 3, 2006)
- How to make a greatest-hits disc (February 5, 2004)
by Will Gartside
Monday, October 11, 2004
It's easy to compare Charlotte Martin's On Your Shore to early Tori Amos, whose sweepingly orchestral, piano-driven style permeates throughout. But Martin, who also channels early Sarah McLachlan (Touch), Chantal Kreviazuk (Under These Rocks and Stones) and Fiona Apple, minus the overt hostility, is far more than the sum of her influences.
To dismiss Martin as a clone of any one of these artists would do her a great injustice. On Your Shore revels in these influences, while presenting this singer/songwriter/pianist as a formidable talent in her own right, someone who will clearly be influencing other artists in years to come.
Clearly, Martin's greatest talent lies in her vocals, which soar to glass-shattering heights, effortlessly hitting notes other artists wouldn't even attempt with an FX coordinator close at hand. This is no derivative Mickey Mouse Club diva.
Lyrically, the album is a steady mix of trite sentimentality and poetic vulnerability. In "Every Time it Rains," Martin confesses, "Take it as it comes and take me as I am / I never was a good impostor / But I know how to dream / And don't know where I stand / I'm willing to admit I try too hard." Such emotional honesty is in stark contrast to the cheesy pop references of "Something Like a Hero," where she asks, "Hello Girls. Truth can make you stare into the mirror for hours / And could lip gloss save a nation Mr. Powers?"
Where other pop singers might make such material whiny and abrasive, Martin's powerful and confident voice never wavers or shies away from hitting the kind of note that makes an otherwise forgettable song anything but. Why then, are there also some multi-instrumental, highly produced tracks ("Haunted" comes to mind) that unnecessarily filter Martin's vocals through FX?
Surprisingly, the album's masterwork is its bonus track, a riveting cover of The Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses." From the first keystroke of her piano, Martin makes the song her own, and it's the first time on the entire album that she truly shines. By stripping away all other instrumentation, Martin perfectly captures the song's vulnerability and sense of longing. Her breathtaking vocals are captivating here, especially when she lets the piano drop out completely. Truly, it is impossible to overstate how amazing this cover is. Had the rest of the album been garbage, I would still recommend it on the basis of this one stunning song.
Ultimately, Martin's rote romanticism is forgivable, if only for the commanding power of her voice. No matter how many violins play in the background, it possesses the authority to overpower an entire symphony.
Grade: B
