Dutch band Martha Jane & the Talisman have taken the darker genrres of American music and turned it into a lowdown, dirty, sexy mix. Their debut album Hello Demon blends country with blues and grunge - not necessarily in that order. They relied upon two key elements to pull this off: a loud resonator guitar and a front woman who can let rip as if she is being chased by hellhounds.
Guitarist Maarten van der Grinten can make his instrument wail like a banhsee or conjure up the image of inesect-infested swamp lands with just a few choice notes. Singer Martha Jane Settler has the husky presence of PJ Harvey and the I-don't give-a fuck attitude of Grace Slick. Earth being invaded by Demons? Something nasty lurking the shadows in Ghost Town? For a moment it sounds perfectly plausible. This is a band dthat urge you to take seize the opportunity before somebody else does (Grab It and dare to compare a lover with an addictive substance (My Drug My Love).
The dark side sounds cool and dangerous on Hello Demon. Producer Attie Bauw deserves a huge compliment for keeping it real, raw and well-balanced thoughtout the recording process. Fellow Dutch voodoo blues band My Baby have a serious competitor on their own turf.
Hello Demon is a self-released album (180 grams vinyl in a gatefold sleeve, digital). Buy it from their website.
Side A;- Not My War
- Two Faced Man
- Sweet Little Maybe
- So You Know It
- Ghost Town
- Demons
- The World Knows
- What Took You So Long
- Grab It
- My Drug My Love
- 11/11 De Kleine Waarheid, Alkmaar
- 11/13 De Kei, Hilversum
- 11/17 Stella, Breda
» marthajaneandthetalisman.com
