There's a lot to be said for keeping things simple and letting songs speak for themselves. Unfortunately, Chicago's Martha Berner has not learnt this lesson so her sophomore release contains a dozen tracks smothered by insensitive production and weighed down by dull arrangements.
Berner has a decent voice, highly reminiscent of Natalie Merchant, and her songs are full of energy and but the full band treatment complete with excessive orchestral treatments don't allow the tunes to breathe.
After several listens I wouldn't be able to name one track that stands out and the only lyric that sticks in the mind is "all the rock stars have got old".
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I can understand why she might have wanted to move away from with a stripped down acoustic sound of her debut album of 2005 (This Side Of Yesterday) but you also need to find musicians and producers who are on the same wavelength and I don't think that's the case here.
Martha Berner on Bandcamp
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