Review by LEVI DOBBIE

Fans of multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter, JEFF MARTIN will be pleased to know the man is back once more with a new project. Canadian born Martin has based himself out of Fremantle since shortly after the breakup of his flagship rock act, THE TEA PARTY. Following strings of local shows and releases, Martin gave us 2008’s ‘The Armada’. After another stint on the road, this time branching overseas, Martin returns with a collaborative effort featuring The Sleep Jacksons, Jay Cortez and Malcolm Clark. ‘The Ground Cries Out’, released under the umbrella title, ‘Jeff Martin 777’ doesn’t veer too far from anything stamped with Martin’s name to date. But it can be argued that this is not entirely a bad thing.

Having always been an eclectic artist, Martin pulls out an array of concepts, instruments and sounds on the album which are new but still familiar enough to fans of ‘The Armada’ or The Tea Party. The trade mark ‘Moroccan Roll’ sound is in fine form on songs such as ‘The Pyre’ and ‘The Cobra’, with anything from sitar’s to kettle drums being used to flesh out the tracks.

Though undeniably a rock album, Martin does deviate at select moments into softer arrangements. ‘One star in sight’ and the beautifully constructed ‘She’s leaving’ have some amazingly fragile moments of tinkering keys, soft strings and pain-stricken vocals. These moments, while rare in the grand scheme of the album, help to create a sense of balance on what could easily have been a generic repetition on a theme.

In a similar vein, Martin strikes out boldly into territory he has only ever touched on previously. ‘Queen of spades’, the albums second track, harks back to stone-cold blues musicians with all the grit and swing one would expect from the era. The same concept is visited again in ‘1916’, though slowed down enough to almost be considered a ballad

Though ‘The Ground Cries Out’ is not a revolutionary rethinking of Martin’s sound, there is enough deviation here to warrant listening. Some may call the formula martin employs in his song writing predictable, but hearing the sheer amount of talent on display in these dozen songs, the word ‘reliable’ seems much more fitting.