Phil Martin
Album: Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark
Label: Brentford Records
Tracks: 14
Website: http://www.philmartinmusic.com

Phil Martin seems like a bit of a jobbing musician, a member of a number of bands past and present, a teacher of both guitar and fiddle, composer, songwriter, but that doesn't make him a jack of all trades musical and master of none, far from it, there is a natural survival instinct in the man and his music and that's something that really shows up in his solo work.

"Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark", follows on the heels of "Before We Go To Paradise" and continues with the punk sensibilities of that predecessor. There is no denying that this is an aggressive album, one that gets into your face and which makes you feel uncomfortable, not only that, it's proud to be there.

This is the music of a man whose fed up of slings and arrows being thrown at his society, a society that is progressively having it's voice taken away, those who really are all in this together because those that caused the mess are rapidly pulling up the lifeboats and drinking gin and champagne whilst watching others drown in planned poverty.

Phil Martin has pulled in a fine array of musicians to help pull his musical vision together and suitably support a narrative that's rich in literary references. Similarly the music references jazz as much as it does folk, punk and skiffle. "Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark" is a bit of a rallying point for both the disenchanted and the oppressed. If that makes it sound a bit depressing far from it, it's a lot more spirited, more don't let the buggers get you down, one for the Levellers & Diggers of the twenty first century, delivered by the sensibility of the Bonzo Dog Band.

Neil King