Customer Reviews

In Parentheses (Dig)

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I was lucky enough to stumble across Charlotte Martin when she popped up in my recommendations here on amazon. After listening to the sound clips, I immediately had to purchase both On Your Shore and In Parentheses. Though I'm generally not a fan of EP's, preferring to spend my money on full-length albums, On Your Shore left me craving more from this amazing up-and-coming artist.

For those not familiar with Charlotte Martin's music, it can easily be compared to that of my other favorite female musician, Tori Amos. Both have impressive vocal ranges in addition to incredible talent with the piano. However, Charlotte Martin's lyrics are slightly more down-to-earth, though no less enticing or moving. Her music is highly accessible without being overly "pop-esque."

Though only four songs, In Parentheses is definitely worth the tiny price. Here's a break-down of the included tracks:

Track 1; "Your Armor" - This song, featuring only Charlotte Martin and her piano accompaniment, is extremely gorgeous and moving. This song is also on the full-length On Your Shore, but with added string accompaniment.

Track 2; "In Parentheses" - Playful, teasing piano with fun, cute lyrics, and drum and bass accompaniment that adds to the song without drowning out the main focus on vocals and piano.

Track 3; "Pretty Thing" - More accompaniment in this song than the previous two, as well as more emotion. Probably the most up-beat song included in this EP.

Track 4; "Monster" - Decent lyrics, though a little repetitive. The accompaniment in this song tends to drown out a little of the piano, but it's still an intriguing, catchy tune.

If there are any downsides to this EP, they would include the fact that these songs don't showcase her talent as much as they could. It's easy to tell that Charlotte Martin really developed her talent and skill between the production of In Parentheses and the later On Your Shore. Furthermore, these songs are all fairly mellow, and none really stand out above any of the others.

Anyone who is a fan of great female vocalists, heartfelt lyrics, and magnificent piano accompaniment needs to buy both On Your Shore and In Parentheses (though I would recommend On Your Shore first, as it's a slightly more encompassing display of Martin's talent). This is just a mere flickering of the bright future ahead for Charlotte Martin, and I anxiously await anything this rising star produces.

Ms. Martin's music is heartfelt, passionate, and consuming. Unlike most artists, her tracks become increasingly interesting with each additional listen. I would've given the EP 5 stars but, if you've ever heard her live, you need to save room for an even higher mark. Think of her as Tori Amos without the self-consciousness and nuttiness. On second thought, just think of her as Charlotte.

Charlotte Martin's EP is just a glimmer into the beauty and talent this rising star possesses. Not only does she have wonderful virtuosity at the piano, but she has insightful, thought-provoking lyrics that can back up the charm and emotion in the music. Her voice is gorgeous, rich and pure, though she's not afraid to jazz it up with a few spurs of rawness. It's a mesmerizing mix, with glimmers of Tori Amos, Fiona Apple, Kate Bush, and other talented musical females shining through. This is said with nothing but praise in mind, as Martin clearly holds her own and proves she is her own talented woman following along the same path as the greats before her. She shines in this EP, and listeners will be thrilled to learn her full-length album is scheduled to come out in the coming year. I know I am looking foward to it with great anticipation.

This is one EP you do not want to wait to buy; you will only kick yourself for not reaping the beauty of it earlier once you give it the first listen.

I just have to respond to the other review about Char "faking" experiences- a very close friend of hers committed suicide, and she has also had a battle with anorexia, rejection from her label, etc. I don't think that she is trying to exploit her experiences, this is just her way of expressing herself. Onto the review. Charlotte's voice is gorgeous and tone perfect, her piano playing diverse and skilled, and her melodies are catchy without being overly "Top 40 sounding". There's a sincerity to her lyrics that is missing in most mainstream music. Some think that the track "Monster" is overly produced, but I love the layering of percussion and background vocals- this song takes a few listens, but it grows on you very quickly. "Your Armor" is a stripped down ballad, pure and clear. "Pretty thing" is a great declaration rejecting her former beauty queen identity. "In parentheses" could be compared to Tori Amos, but this was one of Charlotte's earlier songs and she has been able to get away from the songs that would be compared to Tori's style. Charlotte can run circles around such overly rated musicians as Vanessa Carlton and Michelle Branch- Charlotte is not only more mature than these musicians, but her goal is to express herself with her music, rather than try to sell a certain number of records. Charlotte is also co-producing this album (she produced and mixed her entire independent ep release Test Drive Songs, but RCA probably won't let her produce completely on her own just yet). Co-producing will give Charlotte the chance to have control of her music and sound all the more, even while signed to a major record label. This is only a sampling of more great music that is to come from Charlotte.

Charlotte Martin's EP 'In Parentheses' is a wonderful taste of this exciting, talented performer's talent. Ms. Martin is unique in that she writes and produces her own music in addition to singing and playing the piano. The lyrics are emotional, touching and beautiful. Ms. Martin's voice is so strong and as clear as a bell. Her vocals are filled with the passion of her words and the feelings behind them. Her piano soars as she plays with playfulness as well as great passion. 'Your Armor' and all it's sadness of a failing love, goes into 'In Parentheses' and 'Pretty Thing' where the emotions become a declaration of strength. The soaring piano returns in 'Monster.' There's a beautiful sadness and strength in these songs which I love. Charlotte Martin is an extremely gifted artist and this EP is awesome. A really great singer/songwriter/pianist are few and far between in these days of manufactured pop...Charlotte Martin is a real talent and it shows in this EP! Can't wait to hear more from her.

I saw Charlotte at Howie Day's concert. I hadn't heard of her before and I have to admit I was surprised when she sat down at the keyboard without a band or anyone else to accompany her. I soon learned her voice itself definitely didn't anything else. Her words and voice were so powerful. I loved her performance! "In Parentheses" is a stellar album for first time Charlotte listeners. And she's incredibly down to earth. She hugged every single person that approached her after the preformance. She's just so warm, and you can definitely sense it through her music.

Charlotte Martin's music paints a visual of a girl pouring her heart out over a piano- a visual that makes her music both enticing and emotional. You can't help but sing along to release your own personal conflicts, not in an angry way but in a poetic way. Charlotte's beautiful voice somehow maintains a quality of sweet innocence at the same time voicing strong conviction. All in all, her music is something special that deserves heavy rotation.

A friend talked me into getting this CD, and I was not disappointed at all.

The CD is incredible. Charlotte Martin's music is passionate, and her voice incredible. Her sound reminded me a bit of Tori Amos, but with her own spin.

The music on "In Parentheses" is intense, defiant, empowering, and sometimes angry.

If you're a big fan of female artists with strong vocals and opinions (and not just bubble gum pop), you won't be disappointed.

'In Parentheses' is an emotional journey that takes listeners through the life of Charlotte Martin. While many modern artists take inspiration from surroundings, Martin pushes the boundaries of self expression. Her lyrics are painful confessions that delve into situations from the battle of anorexia to the death of a friend. The passionate underlying piano-playing of Charlotte's songs is intricate. The combination of her lyric and piano artistries with her powerful vocals works extremely well on every track. (Parts taken from VTeens.Org.)

Charlotte Martin's songs are diary-entries-as-poetry in their introspectiveness, echoing Tori Amos or even Kate Bush, behind a forceful voice and dive bomb piano plunking. She's honed songs from Test Drive from wandering artistic impressions into 3-minute plus emotional jabs; blunt snapshots that leave you slightly dazed, yet hopeful. She is well worth exploring, worth getting to know--like that kid in school who's really quite amazing but not everyone knows it yet. They will, but for now just get in on the secret.