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Martyn - The Air Between Words

Review

The Air Between Words by Martyn

Third album stutters and starts but fails to get going properly

With talk of revising his production methods and reverting to analogue gear for his third album, Dutchman Martijn Deykers - aka Martyn has produced what one might refer to as a Marmite album. After 13 listens, I've come to the conclusion that, as a long player, it sounds like a bunch of random tracks thrown together with little consideration or cohesion. Random yes, but not all bad; there's a handful of strong individual tracks, like Empty Mind, Forgiveness Step 2, Two Leads and a Computer and Like That. Equally so there's a few that just don't work for me, like the gentle opener Forgiveness Step 1, which seems out of place at the start of the album, Drones, which is just boring, and the two collaborations Love of Pleasure (with Copeland), sounding like a third-rate indie act from the mid-nineties and Glassbeadgames (with Four Tet), sporting a tediously repetitive vocal sample.

Kudos for not just doing the same as his acclaimed last album Ghost People, but with his proven production skills and good ear for a catchy bassline/melody, I was expecting better. Great album artwork by Erosie.

5/10 after 13 listens

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