English quartet
Martha came blasting out of the Northern suburbs with their debut album,
Courting Strong. Equal parts fierce punk and sweet pop, it sounded live and raw thanks to the production by
MJ from
Hookworms, along with the band's unflagging energy. After a couple years spent touring between day jobs and school commitments, they reconvened with
MJ to record another album. Arriving in 2016,
Blisters in the Pit of My Heart improves on the first in many ways. Not that they needed much of an upgrade; their ferocious and smart songs about life and the outsiders who live it were already top-notch. This time though, the sound is bigger, with J.C. Cairns and
Daniel Ellis' guitars loud and clanging and the rhythm section (Naomi Griffin on bass, Nathan Stephens-Griffin on drums) tighter and packing a knockout punch.
Martha seemed to rush through the songs on their debut like they were in a race to get them on tape before the machines self-destructed. This time out they take their time and sound much more relaxed, while still playing with a taut and tight fervor that never flags. The songs are just a little bit catchier and a few tip the balance from punk to pop, like the super-hooky "Precarious (The Supermarket Song)" and the almost jaunty "Do Whatever." The songs that have sparkly pop choruses and punishing punk verses are the best, though, with the band sounding like a (far) less pretentious
Los Campesinos! or a more powerful
Spook School. Either of those two bands, or any band that travels a similar path, would be glad to have songs like "Goldman's Detective Agency" and "11:45, Legless in Brandon" in their set lists. Throughout
Blisters, the vocals do a great job of conveying the emotions that the words spell out so well, and the dueling male and female vocals fit together just right, with Naomi Griffin's turns in the solo spotlight among the album's many highlights. In fact, the whole album is like one long highlight reel. There's never a dull moment or a duff note, and the whole thing comes together so well it almost seems unfair to the other bands that try this kind of thing and fail.
Martha may be saddled with a name that doesn't exactly imply excitement, but one quick spin through
Blisters is enough to dispel any doubts as feet start to move, pulses begin to race, and the part of the brain that compels one to sing along is stimulated in a big way.