For
Rebecca Martin, the comparisons to
Norah Jones will be inevitable when critical ears listen to "Here the Same but Different" from
Martin's
People Behave Like Ballads. The song has the same breezy folk-pop appeal of
Jones' hit "Don't Know Why" and
Martin's delivery of the song is just as relaxed and carefree. But the comparison is somewhat unfair as
Martin debuted her jazzy blend of folk-pop in 1999 on
Thoroughfare, three years before
Jones's breakthrough. She also worked with
Jesse Harris (writer of "Don't Know Why") in the group
Once Blue prior to his Grammy-winning work with
Jones. In reality, people should be comparing
Jones to
Martin, but all in music is not fair. However, the folks who have already discovered
Martin will be eager to spread the news that her third solo disc successfully refines her style and showcases her talent as a songwriter.
People Behave Like Ballads is the appropriate title for
Martin's collection as she fills the disc with unhurried songs about people dealing with relationships and their own place in the world. In the beautiful "Lead Us," relationship roles are reversed as the stronger of the two recognizes they have "got a handicap" and calls to their partner to "take the reigns," while ghosts from doomed romances begin to haunt a prospective relationship in "I'd Like to Think It's Coming." These personal explorations are often complex but the lightness in which the music is presented makes them seem simpler than they are.
Martin's music leans toward folk but is shaded by jazz influences and a '70s singer/songwriter style, much like the mid-career recordings of
Joni Mitchell. In fact, the influence of
Mitchell can be heard within "East Andover" and "Lonesome Town" as the tracks sound like quality leftovers from
Mitchell's
Hejira. These two songs along with the barely up-tempo tracks "Old Familiar Song" and "I'm Not Afraid" provide the best block of music on the disc. But with all of the songs kept at a laid-back pace, at 16 tracks the disc is a little lengthy and the final songs lose identity and begin to blend into each other. Nonetheless,
People Behave Like Ballads is an excellent step forward and perhaps the people who lifted
Norah Jones to success will discover
Rebecca Martin and give her the proper exposure she deserves. ~ Aaron Latham