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Avg: 4.0 (14 ratings)
- Date Released: January 1, 2005
- Genre: Alternative/Punk
- Style: Alternative
- Label: V2 Records International / V2 Records
Looks like another Wainwright deserves the spotlight.
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We Say...
The first thing you notice on Martha Wainwright is that voice — powerful, weird, unpredictable. Well, I guess the first thing you notice is the name, since Martha is indeed the latest member of the Canadian-American folk-rock Wainwright dynasty to make it into the recording studio (after her father, Loudon Wainwright III; her mother, Kate McGarrigle; and her older brother, Rufus Wainwright). But her 2005 debut, which rounds up material from a slew of earlier EPs, plus additional originals and a few traditional covers, quickly transcends the baggage of her lineage.
The tone on Martha Wainwright veers from despondent to amused, while the lyrics skate between sorrow and romance, often landing squarely in both camps (though Wainwright went on to marry the album's co-producer, Brad Albetta, so things can't be all that bad). "This Life" comes on like a rock song, then "Whither Must I Wander?" returns to pastoral folk forms. It's all heavy on drama, never more so than on the unforgettable "BMFA," a profanity-laced, complex look at her relationship with her father. What unifies the disparate styles into such an impressive whole, though, is her delivery, with its highly personal phrasing and leaping dynamics. Soon enough, don't be surprised if people hear the name Rufus Wainwright and ask, "Hey, is he any relation to Martha?" -
They Say...
After teasing listeners with the enigmatic Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole EP earlier in the year, singer/songwriter Martha Wainwright comes clean with a lush, eponymous debut that should secure herself a place as one of the genre's finest young practitioners. BMFA, despite its headline-grabbing title, showed an artist of considerable depth and vision, attributes that she builds on tenfold with her first foray into full-length territory. Wainwright tears through words the way her mother, Kate McGarrigle, does, inserting mischievous pauses, experimenting with cadences, or sometimes just pulling the phrase out like a wad of taffy, while all of the while in complete control of the overall narrative. On the gorgeous opener, "Far Away," she waxes nostalgic for old friends and lovers. Backed by swirling guitars and piano she pines "I have no children/I have no husband/I have no reason to be alive/Oh give me one" without seeming the least bit ruined -- a poetic knack that she uses effectively throughout the record's entirety. It's a brave and delicate way to begin, and it engages the listener immediately with its subtle balance of voyeurism and wistfulness. "G.P.T." and "Factory" pick up the pace a bit, showcasing Wainwright's deft melodicism and mischievous nature -- the latter is in full effect on the raunchy "Ball & Chain" -- and "Don't Forget" and "These Flowers," two achingly beautiful ballads that bring to mind early Joni Mitchell, round out a first half that's awfully hard to top. Despite a couple of questionable midtempo offerings, Wainwright manages to keep the quality high, with a lovely duet with brother Rufus ("The Maker") and the aforementioned "BMFA," which is far more bold and beautiful than the title suggests, before closing with an intimate and affecting rendition of Vaughan Williams' "Whither Must I Wander." Wainwright's got all of the familial genes that make a child of music destined for success, but it's her fierce nature -- whether saucy and confident or just plain wrecked -- that makes every twist and turn of this impressive debut so easy to fall in love with.
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| 01. |  |
Far Away |
2:54 |
|
| 02. | |
G.P.T. |
2:44 |
|
| 03. | |
Factory |
3:32 |
|
| 04. | |
These Flowers |
4:11 |
|
| 05. | |
Ball & Chain |
3:18 |
|
| 06. | |
Don't Forget |
4:11 |
|
| 07. | |
This Life |
6:11 |
|
| 08. | |
When The Day Is Short |
3:46 |
|
| 09. | |
Bloody Mother F***ing A**hole |
3:14 |
|
| 10. | |
TV Show |
4:09 |
|
| 11. | |
The Maker |
4:08 |
|
| 12. | |
Who Was I Kidding? |
4:10 |
|
| 13. | |
Whither Must I Wander |
2:47 |
|
| 14. | |
Bring Back My Heart |
3:17 |
|
| 15. | |
Baby |
3:56 |
|
| 16. | |
Dis, Quand Reviendras-Tu? |
4:10 |
|
16 Total Tracks, 60:38 Total Length
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Credits
- Alan Bezozi - Percussion // Paul Bryan - Bass // Paul Bryan - Keyboards // Paul Bryan - Keyboard Arrangements // Nicholas Hill - Producer // J.C. Hopkins - Guitar (Electric) // J.C. Hopkins - Guitar (Electric) // Garth Hudson - Organ // Garth Hudson - Organ // Garth Hudson - Keyboards // Garth Hudson - Keyboards // Garth Hudson - Sax (Alto) // Garth Hudson - Sax (Alto) // Joe McGinty - Piano // Joe McGinty - Keyboards // Jane Scarpantoni - Cello // Kate McGarrigle - Banjo // Kate McGarrigle - Piano // Matthew Cullen - Engineer // Bill Dobrow - Drums // Martha Wainwright - Guitar // Martha Wainwright - Guitar (Electric) // Martha Wainwright - Vocals // Martha Wainwright - Vocals (Background) // Martha Wainwright - Producer // Martha Wainwright - Main Performer // Rufus Wainwright - Arranger // Rufus Wainwright - Vocals // Steven Jurgensmeyer - Design // Tom Schick - Engineer // Ken Schles - Photography // Brian Fulk - Engineer // Brian Fulk - Mixing // Brian Fulk - Overdub Engineer // Brad Albetta - Bass // Brad Albetta - Guitar (Electric) // Brad Albetta - Keyboards // Brad Albetta - Programming // Brad Albetta - Producer // Brad Albetta - Engineer // Brad Albetta - Fender Rhodes // Brad Albetta - Bass (Upright) // Brad Albetta - Mixing // Brad Albetta - Overdub Engineer // Brad Albetta - Keyboard Arrangements // Brad Albetta - Moog Bass // Erin Hill - Harp // Emily Lazar - Mastering // Brandon Mason - Engineer // Dan Reiser - Drums // Sarah Register - Assistant // Jeff Hill - Bass // Lily Lanken - Vocals (Background) // Lily Lanken - Paintings // Cameron Grider - Guitar (Electric) // Tom Mennier - Piano // Tom Mennier - Keyboards // Tom Mennier - Vocals (Background) // Tom Mennier - Wurlitzer
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