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| IN A NUTSHELL: As recently demonstrated by Daniel and Natasha Bedingfield’s quasi-incestuous duet at the Brits, we are justifiably suspicious when the sibling of a successful performer crawls out of the woodwork. This is the eponymous debut album by Martha Wainwright, the sister of current flavour-of-the-month Rufus: will she succumb to traditional pop sibling crapness (what experts are calling Dannii Minogue Syndrome)? |
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WHAT’S IT LIKE? Our fears are proved unfounded. Wainwright has produced an understated but fiercely individual, intelligent and interesting album, variously influenced by country, folk and lo-fi rock, with shades of Jeff Buckley, Kate Bush and Beth Orton. Fortunately for all concerned, the Guardian journalist who likened her to “Kelly Osbourne singing Tammy Wynette” was clearly insane and/or on drugs and/or had a bucket over their head: apart from anything else, Wainwright is actually (in stark contrast to Kelly) a brilliant singer with a striking, consistently emotional voice, throwing out angry, decidedly un-Wynette-esque phrases such as “I wish I was born a man” and “I heard her tits were higher than mine…And she’s getting a degree in fucking you”. It all makes a refreshing change, coming in the wake of the recent glut of tedious singer/songwriters of either gender.
HOW MANY GOOD TRACKS? Twelve, out of thirteen.
BEST TRACK: The mighty "Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole", celebrated in these cyber-pages last year as a brilliantly vicious song for the dumped. Alas, we’ve since discovered it’s actually about Wainwright’s dad, and specifically his refusal to bankroll her while she was loafing about in New York, which has taken the edge off it a bit. Other standout tracks include the countryish "This Life", and hymn-like closer "Wither I Must Wander".
WORST TRACK: There aren’t any terrible songs, but "Ball and Chain" is a bit tedious.
VERDICT: Writing a review in the style of Heat isn’t as funny as we thought it was going to be. |
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| Mat Beal - 8/10 |
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