Adore this album of crystalline, spectral but occasionally dramatic balladry, which runs the gamut from skeletal whispers to the odd frightening wall of sound, but spends enough time at the former end of the spectrum to imply more violence through its restraint than it gives voice to.
I immediately thought of Clarissa Connelly's World of Work, and I think I would have thought of that first even absent the close proximity of their releases - there's that seem immaculate, pristine production vibe that implies surround-sound post-rock even at its most spare, and spare folk-pop even at its most surround-sound.
Zooming out from that comparison, maybe a cross between Julia Holter's Loud City Song crossed with PJ Harvey's White Chalk? Or more specifically, Julia trying to record the latter album? Martha sounds like Julia at times, but her breathy voice can also sound like she's literally running out breath, singing live from the operating theatre as she waits for the anaesthesia to kick in (one of the first lyrics you hear is: "Blow a hole through a mountain / And drill it through my head / Sat in a surgeon's chair / Doing my best to play dead / Like it when you play with my hair. Pulling me close then staying there / My hands are bound in string / Each finger slowly ripping").
― Tim F, Tuesday, 9 July 2024 08:42 (two years ago)
Cafe OTO in a few weeks! I've got a lot on that weekend but not ruling this completely out....
https://www.cafeoto.co.uk/events/ad-93-10/
― my opinionation (Hamildan), Tuesday, 9 July 2024 16:40 (two years ago)
"kind" is astounding, love this album
― ufo, Thursday, 11 July 2024 06:39 (two years ago)
"Kind" is insane - makes me wonder what Anna Von Hausswolff is doing (nb. this album does not in fact sound like Anna Von Hausswolff)
― Tim F, Thursday, 11 July 2024 06:50 (two years ago)
reminds me heavily of david sylvian, it's like if late period sylvian went back and made something like secrets of the beehive again
― ufo, Thursday, 11 July 2024 07:41 (two years ago)
Sounding the Roy Montgomery klaxon - lovely that he's popped up here and with Mary Lattimore last year.
― etc, Tuesday, 16 July 2024 21:08 (two years ago)
her recent album with roy montgomery is some really lovely ambience, very cocteau twins-esque at times
― ufo, Wednesday, 19 August 2026 08:12 (two weeks ago)
it's like victorialand if all the tracks were denser, dronier, and much longer
― ufo, Wednesday, 19 August 2026 08:17 (two weeks ago)
Yeah this is great
― Tim F, Wednesday, 19 August 2026 19:38 (two weeks ago)