With influences ranging from
Johnny Cash and
Merle Haggard to
Willie Nelson,
Martin Delray covered quite a few bases on the promising and unpredictable
Get Rhythm. The singer goes for a Bakersfield-minded honky tonk sound on "One In a Row," "Lillie's White Lies" and the title tune, an inspired remake of a
Johnny Cash hit featuring
Cash himself. But a much more pop-flavored, early-'90s Nashville-type sound prevails on "New Wine" and "If The Wind Blows Sand." The latter sounds like something
Glen Campbell would have been comfortable with, while a pop-jazz-meets-pop-country version of the
Ray Noble standard "The Very Thought of You" has a very
Willie Nelson-ish quality. Not outstanding but definitely above average,
Get Rhythm indicated that
Delray was a singer to keep an eye on. ~ Alex Henderson