Charlotte Martin has been a busy girl. Not only did she release her new EP Orphans at the end of last year, but she also had a kid. Surprising, then, to find her onstage at Joe’s Pub in New York last Saturday. She just can’t seem to stay away from the stage, her fans, the music. In actuality, her short three show stint (two in NYC, one in LA) was a test to see if the baby could handle life on the road. Good news: he flies well, cries little, and, apparently, has a fantastic nanny. Lucky us!
Joe’s Pub is an intimate venue, and in keeping with that theme, Martin played solo—a nice change from the full band and heavily synth-laden instrumentation of her last tour with husband, Ken Andrews (of Failure). I’ve always been a fan of the pared down girl and piano combo so I could be biased, but her clean, bright voice was so thoroughly complemented by the baby grand that it was like a return to her first LP, On Your Shore. Besides, who needs all those extra bells and whistles when such a tiny girl has a voice inversely proportional to her size?
In addition to her intensity and amazing vocal range, Martin’s shows play like a private concert between friends. There is never a shortage of jokes, stops, and starts; nor is it uncommon to see her laugh and cry in the duration of a show. I was so thrilled after the first show that I went immediately to the box office and purchased a ticket for the second. Good choice. While the first show was amazing and the set list really highlighted her entire catalog, the second show blew me away. Highlights were “Every Time It Rainsâ€, “Redeemedâ€, and a cover medley of Kate Bush’s “Cloudbusting†right alongside the Postal Service’s “The District Sleeps Alone Tonightâ€. To say that I was blown away would be an understatement. Let’s just leave it at this: I left the venue wishing for a third show and totally antsy for the announcement of a full tour.
Charlotte Martin: website | myspace
