Martha Wainwright: I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too
Friday, 09 May 2008 07:44
Martha Wainwright: Leggy and lyrical
Drowned in Sound, out now.
In a nutshell...
Blousy folk for girls
What's it all about?
Martha says its about the men (and women) she has loved throughout her life. But really, it's about showcasing Wainwright's musical maturity, vocal range and talent as a songwriter.
The 12 tracks cross the line between spurned girl singer and true Americana stories of heartache. By this token, there are traces of folk, jazz, blues, country and swing.
As well as the 11 original songs, the record also features a cover of Pink Floyd's See Emily Play - with Wainwright joined by cousin Lily Lakin.
Opening track Bleeding All Over You is set to be the first single from the album and will be released on May 19th - expect lots of Radio 2 airplay.
Who's it by?
Martha Wainwright was born into the musical Wainwright/McGarrigle dynasty in the 1970s. Without the crystal meth addiction, penchant for Judy Garland or close personal friendship with Elton John, she has managed to steer clear of the publicity afforded to her older brother Rufus.
Nonetheless, her talent is as prevalent as her flame-haired sibling's and since launching her self-titled debut in 2005 she has been busy bobbing around in the background of several serious musical ventures. Most notably Wainwright contributed heavily to the soundtrack of Leonardo DiCaprio's 2004 blockbuster The Aviator.
Rounding up famous friends and family members for her second album, Wainwright is joined on the album by legendary figures including Pete Townsend, Donald Fagen from Steely Dan, as well as Rufus, mum Kate McGarrigle, aunt Anna McGarrigle and cousin Lily Lakin - another rising star of the lineage.
As an example...
"She's the jewel that's in your crown/I'm the gold that'll weigh you down." - Jesus and Mary
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
Let's keep our fingers crossed. Martha is as much a valid talent as Rufus and should be recognised as such. Mainstream success could come with this record if only the
What the others say
"Her voice is remarkable throughout. Admittedly, there are moments when it's remarkable chiefly because it sounds so histrionic." – Guardian
So is at any good?
Wainwright is most definitely the daughter of folk musicians - the strings of opening track Bleeding All Over You to the intricate guitar plucks of Jesus and Mary are dead giveaways.
The album is definitely a testament to Wainwright's development as a singer, songwriter and musician - with comfortable girl rock songs settling nicely next to more experimental tracks. The more you listen to I Know You're Married, the more there is to pick out.
All the songs are multi-layered and each one differs from the previous. The Americana of Comin' Tonight suddenly fades into the big band, Bond-theme style Tower - one of the standout tracks - then we get the vocal juggling of Jesus and Mary.
She sounds like Emmylou Harris on the opening few lines of In the Middle of the Night with an ever-so-slight country twang, it's an epic song. A showstopper even, that's sure to be amazing live and, incidentally, has instrumental support from Rufus.
The best thing about the album is the clarity of Wainwright's voice - it's unique and surprisingly powerful for a lady of such diminutive stature. It holds it own among fantastically complex musical arrangements and conveys the tongue-in-cheek nature of songs like The George Song, while rasping through the heartfelt closer Wish I Were.
If anything, I guess that this is the credible record scores of female singer/songwriters wish they could make - and it well and truly makes up for the dreadful song she did with Snow Patrol a short while back.
9/10
Rebecca Amir
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