Rising female-fronted Rock act Smoking Martha has released their sophomore effort, Universe, a follow-up to 2017's widely received debut 'In Deep'. The album features the band's diverse sound, combining pop vocal choruses with blistering riffs and infectious hooks over 12 tracks.
Smoking Martha, fronted by the charismatic charms of Natasha Doherty, hails from Brisbane, Australia. The quartet has steadily forged a strong cult following with notable support slots with some of rock's recognisable acts, such as Thunder, Uriah Heep and Saliva. The band have also made regular appearances at local festivals in their native Australia, including an appearance at Hard Rock Hell in 2018 in England. The LP was produced by Matt Bartlem and Luke Palmer (Dead Letter Circus), and recorded at Studio Circus in Queensland, Australia.
The LP starts with the thunderous drum intro of "Good Girls". Doherty's distinctive rich vocals sound similar to No Doubt's Gwen Stafani with added zest. Next up is the mesmerising tones of "Only Love ". The clean guitar breaks blend with strong drumming to produce a real rocker to kick this album into touch.
The album can, at times, feel disconnected between the vocals and the music. Nonetheless, the band showed mature songwriting skills to produce a diverse album to included blues, soft rock, and hard rock.
Lead single 'Liquid Sunshine' shows they can also do ballads, too. The song's heartwarming melodies combine with sweet vocals and hazy riffs to create a nice track
It is this part of the LP that feels like it has been split into two EPs, The first sounds like a real rock album, and the second part of the LP feels more experimental with more variation in the band's musical abilities. The bluesy "Intermission" is a surprising addition here. Other highlights include the sonic guitar sounds of the radio-friendly "Ghost" and the vibrant "It's A Lie", complete with dirty riffs. The funky "Wild and Free" sounds like something from the seventies classic rock book with Doherty crooning over pounding drums and a dynamic rock sound. The title track "Universe" wraps things up with this ballad that sounds like a farewell to this satisfying release.
Overall, Smoking Martha came out firing on all cylinders with another sterling effort released from Xelon Entertainment. The band shows promise in their attempts to create something fresh for an avid rock fan.
Words by Anselm Anderson
'Universe' album tracklist:
1. Good Girls
2. Only Love
3. I Tried
4. Wonderful Happiness
5. Liquid Sunshine
6. Intermission
7. Neon Lights
8. Ghost
9. It's A Lie
10. Wild And Free
11. In The Shadows
12. Universe
Smoking Martha is:
Tasha D – Vocals
Mick Broome – Guitar
Matty Mulheran – Bass
Jordy Poynter – Drums
SOCIAL MEDIA
Official Website – https://www.smokingmartha.comFacebook – https://www.facebook.com/smokingmartha @smokingmartha
Twitter – https://twitter.com/smokingmartha @smokingmartha
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/smokingmartha @smokingmartha
You Tube – https://www.youtube.com/user/smokingmartha
'LIQUID SUNSHINE'
'GOOD GIRLS'
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