Customer Reviews

Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I saw her live a few months ago, in 2004. Absolutely riveting! Original and personal, authentic and not commercially oriented, strong and intense. This CD lets you in. Wait for the rest.

I love her voice and her fearlessness. She will say whatever is on her mind and she is a genius like her brother and her mom.

Some have labeled Martha Wainwright's vocal stylings as ear-piercing, going so far as to liken her to cat-screeching or nails on a chalkboard. If that is how you see it, then that is how you see it. I personally adore the cracks in her voice and to apparent strains she gives each of her words, for they add such emotional depth and clarity to her lyrics. She is a true artist (but, I mean her father IS Loudon Wainwright, so that figures...RIGHT?) and it shows all over this beautifully tailored EP.

For me, the standout here is the salon inspired `How Soon', which places Martha in the company of a piano and lends her a Norah Jones' vibe that flourishes under her coarse vocal delivery. The song has an edge to it that perfectly contradicts the softness of the piano.

`When the Day is Short' is another song that I really love. It has a spunk to it that really engages the listener. There is a soft and happy vibe to the song that, again, proves a perfect contradiction to Martha's broken vocals. `I Will Internalize' is a song that definitely plays to Martha's vocal strengths. The musical arrangement is less whimsical and more intimate, channeling the harshness of her voice into the sharpness of the guitar. It's a stunningly moving musical experience.

The title track, `BMFA', is no where near as edgy as it needed to be to sell the `necessity' of that title. It's a decent song, but it is lacking (despite the fact that her voice is marvelous here).

For me, `It's Over', is the worst song here. This is the one track where Martha really tries to go somewhere distinct and make some kind of different choices musically, but it just doesn't work. It comes off forced and misplaced. I can see what she was trying to do, but it just doesn't pull it off entirely.

As a whole, this is a commendable effort. For an EP it is strong. I love her work and will laud her as an artist for a long time to come. If you aren't familiar with her then this is a nice place to start, for it gives you a good indication of who she is and what she is capable of. This isn't her best work, but it is solid and won't disappoint!

Martha has a gorgeous voice and wonderful stories to share. These tracks were among the best I heard last year and display how she has really come into her own as a solo artist. The production is raw and muted and does much to enhance the sheer emotionality of Wainwright's songs.

I expected something at least somewhat unconventional and interesting based on the title, but the title track is just standard, mediocre lilith fair stuff. I really don't get what she was thinking with the offensive title. Anyone conventionally-minded enough to like the music would be offended by the title, and anyone who found the title amusing or interesting would be offended by the boring conventional music. Track 2 is more of the same. Track 3 has a more developed sound with slide guitar and better songwriting. Track 4 has a slight noisy goth vibe, and she uses her voice more effectively as an instrument, although her enounciation is terrible and it's near impossible to make out a word she sings. The last song reminds me of Billie Holiday. It's completely unoriginal and weak, but apparently it's a cover so I guess that shouldn't count against her. Here's hoping her forthcoming album has more songs like tracks 3 and 4 and less like tracks 1 and 2.

With the rock pedigree of father Loudon Wainwright III, mother Kate McGarrigle and brother Rufus Wainwright, her voice sounds a bit like her aunt Sloan Wainwright's full throated-alto. The stripped down arrangements here put her voice front & center. It is a moving vocal delivery, but unfortunately the title track is unnecessarily offensive with its language. In short, this EP is a mistake as a calling card for an upcoming full-length release. I can only hope that the original tracks heard here will not be heard again. "I Will Internalize" is somber and boring. "When the Day is Short" is a peppy track without much of a melody, "On the jukebox is your only song." "It's over before it ever started" is pretty much a targeted assessment of this EP's worth. The track itself sounds like a caterwauling cat screeching, perhaps suitable for a song about slitting your wrists; but do I need to listen to this more than once? "How Soon" -- the only song Martha didn't write -- is the best track, but its wispy piano melody is hardly enough to recommend the set. Martha was charming on the McGarrigle Hour and did a wonderful job with "I'll Be Seeing You" from "The Aviator: Songs from the Movie" CD. However, this set is an utter mistake. She needs some management to help her find her talent that certainly seems to be there. Until next time, taxi!