Martha Redbone is an all around ringmistress wearing more than a half dozen stylish hats as producer, writer, performer, soul singer, funksister, rock singer and then some.
Her album Skintalk offers fourteen tracks with an overall warm, organic instrumentation and a variety that will make this album a classic record you certainly can listen to in ten, twenty or more years.
Starting with the funky Hard Livin’ we get a good impression that Martha can merge nearly every style, be it rock, pop or funk, to create a unique song. But most of all Martha is a soul sister. Listen to the great Talk About It, a true soul song with Martha seeking answers and help from above to soothe today’s trying times.
Martha digs deep into 70s soul with Atlas which sounds like it’s straight out of Stevie Wonder’s songbook with its reminiscences of Superwoman or I Love Everything About You. Future Street is another tremendous soul track that has that special summer vibe which makes the sun shine even on a rainy day.
The intro of Children Of Love pays hommage to Martha’s Native American roots while Just Because sees Martha drifting into 80s Regina Belle/Anita Baker territory.
But Martha doesn’t stop there and gives us more fine songs like God Created Woman or the slow, introspective U B U.
Even though I’m not a friend of electric guitar solos and rock songs, I must admit that Skin, as sole rock song, fits nicely into the context of the album.
Further Uptempo songs like Stick Wit Me or From Now On, that fuse funk, rock and even blues, makes Skintalk one of the musically most versatile records I have heard in a long time…and with Martha’s voice and the fact that she wrote and produced and recorded everything with Aaron Whitby it’s a very impressive release too.
Tracklisting of Skintalk: 1. Hard Livin’/ 2. Talk About It/ 3. Stick Wit Me/ 4. Medicine Man/ 5. Skin/ 6. Atlas/ 7. Future Street/ 8. Children of Love/ 9. Just Because/ 10. Mama/ 11. God Created Woman/ 12. Merry Go Round/ 13. UBU/ 14. From Now On | released 2005 by Blackfeet Productions
For more infos visit martharedbone.com and cdbaby.com.
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2005/1/6 at 18:17
[…] ful album? Also read my interview with Ola here. 16. Martha Redbone Talk About It (from Skintalk) Finally soul music fans take notice of Martha Redbone and S […]
2006/31/1 at 23:10
[…] The wonderful Martha Redbone, who impressed me almost a year ago with her album Skintalk. has signed to Dome Records and will release Skintalk in the UK/Europe on March 6. So there’s no excuse for you this time not to get Skintalk, which is full of timeless songs like Atlas, Talk About, Future Street or God Created Woman. Prior to the album, Dome will also release Future Street as a single on CD single and vinyl. And if you’re in London on March 2, then make sure to catch Martha’s first UK appearance at London’s Jazz Café. trackback […]