Stromata

Charlotte Martin | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Original Release Date: September 12, 2006
• Release Date: September 12, 2006
• Label: Dinosaur Fight
• Copyright: (C) 2006 Charlotte Martin, Under Exclusive License to Fontana
• Record Company Required Metadata: Music file contains unique purchase identifier. Learn more.
• Total Length: 54:17
• Genres:
• ASIN: B000XSSHYU
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow., September 12, 2006

By 

Paul Austin Ardoin (Sacramento area, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stromata (Audio CD)

Charlotte Martin apparently spent a long time in the studio for this album. Sometimes, so much studio time can make an album devoid of emotion. While this album has a lot more electronic sounds and sound effects than previous releases, the emotion is cranked up even higher than her major-label album, On Your Shore.

Comparisons with Tori Amos are unavoidable for Martin, simply because she has piano-based rock with vocals and lyrics that reveal powerful, raw, and scary emotions. However, where Amos has a reputation for alienating listeners with confusing lyrics, absent melodies, and seemingly directionless piano noodling, Martin's song have strong hooks and stronger rhythms. While Amos experimented with electronic sounds (most notably on "From the Choirgirl Hotel"), Martin's experimentation is more akin to the unusual music palette of Björk (and Martin has a voice that is much more accessible). Nothing against Amos or Björk--they're two of my favorite artists--but Stromata is a more complete, more emotionally powerful album than just about anything I've ever heard.

Some listeners might be put off by some of the electronic percussion that sound like ProTools presets, but the electronics are used to maximum effect here. The first two tracks ("Stromata" and "Cut the Cord") are dark and driving--excellent driving music, and it's easy to get lost in the dark emotions in these tracks. The hooks are often not obvious, but the songs leave you wanting to listen to them again--I fully expect that this album will continue to get better with each listen. Other songs, such as "Little Universe" and "Pills" are more experimental--it may take repeated listenings to get used to them. "The Dance" is another outstanding track, reminding some of a good experimental David Byrne song. The tracks "Redeemed" and "A Hopeless Attempt", in a lesser musician's hands, might drag. With Martin's instrumentation--the electric piano on "A Hopeless Attempt", the bongos and church organ (!) on "Redeemed"--and emotional vocal delivery, however, these are two of the strongest songs on the album.

On Your Shore was a powerful, moving album, and one of my favorite releases of the last decade. I find it hard to believe, but Martin has surpassed On Your Shore with Stromata. Do yourself a favor: buy this album and spend a few hours with it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good CD by an amazing artist, June 12, 2007

By 

Peter - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stromata (Audio CD)

Charlotte Martin's second record, "Stromata" is much different from "On Your Shore," but just as good. Charlotte continues her foray into the electronic world which she began on her first EP "Test Drive Songs" back in 2002.

The album begins with "Stromata", the most powerful song on the album, with mysterious lyrics and harsh, thrashing vocals.

"Cut the Cord" smashes in with resonant tribal drum beats and a crazy rocking sensibility.

"Drip" follows with flowing keyboard/piano work and tounge-twister lyrics.

"Little Universe" is the most experimental song on the album, and she definitely gets her Bjork on here. Listen to this song with headphones. It's a sonic and epic journey.

"Civilized" is rocking with fast piano work reminiscent of Fiona Apple and Ben Folds. You get to hear angry Charlotte in this song too: "Why can't we keep this civilized? / Why can't the girl just shut her mouth?"

"A Hopeless Attempt" is a lullabye-like song that will bring the well-versed fan back to "Bones," the second track from her 2005 EP "Veins."

"Four Walls" is the most accessible song on the album, with a catchy chorus and dance-inducing beats.

"Inch" is a piano ballad that she's played live many times before finally releasing it, and it's as good as it always was. I could do without the dream-like guitar in the background though.

"Keep Me In Your Pocket" is a fun, clap-along song with a great chorus.

The album takes a bit of a downhill slip at this point, which is why I give the album 4 stars. "Pills" is a cute, playful song with lyrics like "Pills that make the boys a little frisky / Pills the help the girls fight PMS". Kind of a throw back to the live, loosen-the-crowd-up songs like "I'm Normal, Please Date Me" and "Uncomfortable Things." But it probably would have been better suited as a b-side, because it kind of interrupts the flow of the album.

"Just Before Dawn" shows off her classically trained opera skills. Impressive, but I find myself skipping it most of the time.

"Cardboard Ladders" is a thought-provoking song whose lyrics are the most important element, but aside from the beautiful bridge, musically this song is a little boring.

Charlotte brings it back with "The Dance," which is THE song of the album, and most Charlotte Martin fans will agree with me, with echoeing drums and soaring vocals.

"Redeemed" is another live-favorite that finally got a studio version, and is a great note to end the album on.

All in all, this is a wonderful album. Buy it. For the record though, while I love and am very impressed with Charlotte as an experimental artist and producer, I hope the third album has a little bit more acoustic piano songs, because that's what made me fall in love with her on "On Your Shore."

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tori-ish, July 2, 2007

By 

Jay Winters "jwinterscom" (Tallahassee FL, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stromata (Audio CD)

I confess. I like Tori Amos. If you're willing to make the same confession, you'll like Charlotte Martin. Charlotte has the same breathless choir-girl to screaming diva vocal range that Tori does, and the same disturbing to incomprehensible lyrical style - and it is all powered by strong piano chords and keyboard prowess.

This former Miss Teen Illinois' latest release, "Stromata" is an album filled with power and a wit that seems to hearken back to the same places of other "solo girls" like Tori, Anne Sexton (poet) and Emily Dickinson.

Spiritually speaking, Stromata is pretty much awash in spiritual vaguery - which makes sense because she seems pretty spiritually vague in most of her interviews, (read "I'm spiritual but not religious."). There are some bright points that can be reinterpreted or properly interpreted by the Christian listener in songs like "I Am Redeemed" and "Four Walls."

There is a very disturbing side to many of Charlotte's lyrics. The song "Pills" is a playful tune that seems to communicate death's grin as it is seen by people caught by addiction. "Cut the Cord," a song about leaving an abusive relationship captures the pain as well as the journey to freedom from slavery to another person not only with its lyrics but with its percussion-fronting style.

Stromata is an album worth your time and Charlotte Martin is an artist who deserves a couple of listens.