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Album Reviews
There
are a couple of things i need to let you know up front about
this cd. First, it is Ronnie Martin, of Joy
Electric. Second, as the back cover states, "there were
no compressors, digital effects, or computers used on
this recording". This is quite a departure from Martin's electronic noise in
Joy Electric. Here he teams
with
Frank Lenz on drums (Starflyer 59, Fold Zandura, etc...) to
present nine little gems. Martin plays guitar, Roland bass, and sings.
The cd has a decidedly dark feel, both
lyrically and musically. The instrumentation, while sparse, is a beautiful backdrop for the lyrics.
Those
lyrics, while lacking in overt religious references, are a portrait of a man struggling with day to day life, as we all
do. The result is a showcase for the songs that didn't fit in with JE's sound. and
I for one am glad martin
found an outlet for them. Check out audio
samples, and buy the disc, at www.northernrecords.com
. you'll be glad you did.
~
Larry Laster
This
is the long awaited organic Ronnie Martin recording. That’s
Ronnie Martin of the understated, eccentric electronic band
Joy Electric. This would be his side project. I’m glad this
finally came out after being held hostage to record company
politics for a painfully long time. Northern Records holds
bragging rights for this little gem. Shepherd is best viewed
as a side project. Only then do you understand why one would
make such a challenging record.
I remember the bitterness of
crazy JE fans when Unelectric was released. Unelectric was a
bit misleading, and what the fans were really waiting for
was what to become Shepherd. It was an idea rolling through
Martin’s head for a long time. Some songs had to go on the
shelf because they simply would not fit into an electronic
format. Martin needed an outlet. This is it. The debut,
Committing To Tape features Ronnie Martin on guitars,
Roland bass and vocals. And while this is essentially a solo
project, Martin recruited the help of Frank Lenz (Fold Zan,
SF59, Lassie Foundation, etc) to play drums. This was a
bright idea because this project was approached with the
mindset that less is more (in the vein of Pedro the Lion’s
It’s Hard To Find A Friend) and the scarce nature of the
musicianship highlights even the smallest detail. Lenz plays
his drum kit like an instrument, providing the foundation
for the songs and working the landscape to make them more
interesting. The mood is dreary, with Martin playing his
guitar like a reluctant, disenchanted heartthrob rockstar
would. I can’t help but hear the (obvious, but) close
resemblance to younger brother Jason (founder of Starflyer
59). These brothers ride the same musical wave of ideals.
Heartbroken yet determined, Committing To Tape is
minimal indie rock on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Of
course, the use of Roland bass gives this record a bit more
of a ‘stay true to your school’ identity for Martin. Joy
Electric is definitely more comfortable musical territory,
but it’s nice to go out on a limb. That’s what Martin did,
and the result is a bit bumpy, but mostly pleasant. I hope
he’ll venture out of his shell again.
~
Garrett Johnson
Shepherd
(Homepage)
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