Levitate
Idaho Music

Possessing a voice that could be described as a masculine counterpart to Cat Power's Chan Marshall, Idaho’s principal songwriter and composer, Jeff Martin delivers a staggering and moving collection of piano-based songs. Unfortunately linked with disparate bands like American Music Club, Red House Painters, and Codeine under the rubric "slow-core," Martin displays a greater sense of humor and sweeping emotion than many of these other bands. One suspects that under these carefully constructed songs that document love and love lost, there is a playful and whimsical side at rest. Smarter than most "earnest" songwriters and significantly more creative, this seventh release is a must have for fans of creative, thoughtful, and yes, sensitive music.

Idaho Music Entertainment, PO Box 2509, Los Angeles, CA 90078; http://www.idahomusic.com

Terry Eagan

this review is/was posted at www.ink19.com
and is available here for archival purposes