It's easy to forget how old Samantha Jo Martin (http://www.samanthajomartin.com) is.
The song "These Days," with its tales of school in the present tense, is a bracing reminder that, yes, she is still in her teens. However, if you just listen to her voice, she has soulful qualities that transcend her age. Throughout most of this record she sounds like a seasoned vet, capturing the adult emotions of the lyrics - three of which she co-wrote herself.
Brimming with self-confidence and a sparkling, charming vocal style, Martin breezes through five slices of well-played country pop. On "That's My Way," Martin sings of her own individualism. From that track, she establishes her identity in a mature way, lifting expectations for the remainder of the record.
And she hits the ball out of the park. Even without her top-notch band, this young girl can truly sing. She strikes an upbeat note on "Time for Summer," which has a surprising B-52's-ish surf riff that is completely different than anything else on the CD, but can pull off a heartbreakingly pretty piano piece like on "Look What Love Has Done to Me."
|
"He's Always There," a moving tribute to her father, is the kind of heartwarming music that once ruled country radio before it became too polished.
Keep an ear out for Martin. If she can produce a record as consistently good as this in her adolescence, she'll be a force to be reckoned with as an adult.
|
