by Rave Magazine
The tea party at the Grand Bazaar goes on as usual
Jeff Martin belongs to the group of artists who’ll always sound like themselves no matter what genre they tackle. In the ex-Tea Party leader’s case, that’s more of a good thing, as he remains a musical powerhouse. A Perth resident for the last few years, Australia’s favourite Canadian has recently teamed up with his Armada cohort Jay Cortez and good friend/Basement Birds sticksman Malcolm Clarke in a new project – matter-of-factly titled Jeff Martin 777; cue another kickin’ album. Named after a Rumi poem, the self-produced The Ground Cries Out is – much like the preceding Armada LP – a mixture of Middle Eastern-hued hard rock, Led Zepesque acoustic blues and no-nonsense balladry. The opening title track erupts with a scything, unmistakably-JM riff and crashing drums; Queens Of Spades stacks harmonised slide licks on top of a blues stomp and The Cobra sways, swirls, menaces and bites over the course of its six minutes. A gifted muso in his own right, Cortez comes up with a suitably rich Indochinese melody line on The Mekong while the boss relishes the opportunity to showcase his famed fingerpicking skills on Blue Mountain Sun. Martin may not have penned a truly gripping slowie since Walking Wounded or Requiem, but She’s Leaving and One Star In Sight ably continue where The Kingdom and Line In The Sand left off. Last and loudest of all, The Pyre contains Martin’s chunkiest guitar riff since Temptation; he’s still walking through the endless