Martyn Crocker – Favourtism
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| Martyn Crocker - Favourtism |
Release Date: 24th February 2017
I’ve been aware of Mr Martyn
Crocker for quite a while now, in the periphery of my awareness like one of
those floaters you get in your eye that you can’t quite focus in on.
Nevertheless, like a persistent eye disease, Crocker has forced his existence
(and music) in to full view and after some scratching and swearing I’m
incredibly pleased to have him in focus. This new album opens with the feisty ‘Abacus’
which is driven by a passionately strummed acoustic guitar and a sense of pent
up energy, frustration and genuine need to say something which is always a good
place to start. Instantly, the precision of Crocker’s vocal style is apparent,
coming across like a slightly more melodic Jake Morley (huge praise round these
parts as Morley won two LWM awards in 2016). ‘Out Of The Dark’ is up next and
the acoustic energy continues with a West Coast American vibe in the polished
indie-rock that could easily be accompanying a moody video on MTV sometime
soon.
We might be talking about a solo
artist here but there’s a full band backing him and that comes in to full force
on ‘Wishful Thinking’ as the guitars become more electric, the bass grumbles
menacingly and the drums beat on relentlessly with military force. Crocker has
a dark side we now discover but this is still presented with superbly crafted
melodies and well placed power. ‘The Places That We’re From’ is a perfectly
poised tale of small town frustration with hints of Del Amitri and Rooney
mixing folk, indie and pop as we hear a story that will be familiar to millions
the world over – surely a hit in waiting. On ‘Hope’ things are stripped back to
just Martyn and his acoustic and while the song is still well crafted it lacks
the edge of some of the others here and feels more like a B-side than anything
else.
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| Martyn Crocker - in a hat |
Things get back on track with ‘If
Only He Knew’ with some furious and creative percussion below a flamenco
inspired acoustic riff and Biffy Clyro-esque chanting harmonies. In terms of
arrangement, ‘If Only He Knew’ is the most interesting and progressive track on
the album as different melodies and instruments all vie for space without
sounding cluttered or directionless. There’s a gritty edge to the indie-rock of
‘Stick Around For Good’ as Crocker’s voice delivers the lyrics in his
inimitable smooth but impassioned vocal style that is surely destined for
bigger audiences. The eight track album closes on ‘Hold Your Hand’ which is the
first tune that gives away our hero’s Westcountry roots with the folky acoustic
picking sounding like a Crazy Arm tune lifted from an old Cornish sea shanty
but with melody that would easily grace more mainstream airwaves. Martyn
Crocker currently resides in Plymouth, a city renowned for looking out towards
the rest of the world and sending explorers to the four corners – this music
deserves to be heard the world over as well so maybe it’s a fitting place to
start.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/martyncrockermusic/?fref=ts
Live Dates:
21st February – The Hub, Plymouth w/The Sherlocks
25th February – The B-Bar, Plymouth
4th March – Unit 23 LIVE, Totnes
11th March – The Wharf, Tavistock w/Nova Grey
18th March – Studio Bar, Penzance