Martini Henry - End of the Beginning (2006)

Rating: 7.4

Martini Henry’s latest (and first, I believe) release, End of the Beginning, is an example of an album where the band does everything right. While they base themselves around a fairly standard alternative rock sound, they are able to take it further than any other band I know. Swirling effects, acoustic guitar, soaring vocals, and a tight rhythm section all come together to create a stunning product that is worthy of many listens. This album ranks as one of the very best ProgressiveEars has sent me to review, along with Quodia’s The Arrow and Sgt. Sunshine’s Black Hole. It’s not perfect, but it’s about as good as I’ve seen this style of music done.

Truth be told, I wasn’t too enthused when I read exactly what style of music this band played, especially since they are a power trio (a fine combo of instruments when utilized properly, but one that is far too often used to produce bland music). Once I popped the CD into the player, however, all of my doubts vanished. The music, while not particularly groundbreaking, simply sounds really good. The songs are catchy, perfectly blending standard alternative rock with progressive tendencies (such as shifting time signatures, I believe), creating an uplifting album that always brings a smile to my face.

Even as I say that this is a brilliant album, however, I also point out that the music is fairly standard. How do these two reconcile? Easy: the vocals. It’s not often that a band is graced with such a gifted vocalist as Martini Henry. Not only does Matt Groboski (who also plays guitar) have a beautiful voice, he really knows how to use it. His vocals are dynamic and passionate, pouring emotion into every syllable. They are warm and uplifting, able to take a catchy song that is merely good and turn it into something great. The lyrics that he sings aren’t anything special, but they’re leagues above most of the lyrics out there, which is a relief. Too often I hear a band with a lot of promise whose music is absolutely ruined by the appalling lyrics. Not so here. In part, the lyrics themselves are decent, but there’s also the fact that Groboski makes everything sound better when he sings.

Now that I’ve devoted an entire paragraph to Groboski, perhaps I also ought to mention Garrett Henritz (drums) and Ken Moore (bass), who comprise the awesome rhythm section that backs up Groboski’s wonderful acoustic guitar. I’ll give a particular nod to Henritz, who doesn’t fall into the trap of playing standard, repetitive beats that has really only been used well by the Krautrock greats such as CAN and NEU! (and even CAN weren’t that standard). Instead, Henritz plays varied beats that mesh well with each other while still holding my interest. The result is that the wonderful guitar and bass work is accentuated with an energy that helps (along with the vocals) to lift the music.

So, I really must ask, what are you waiting for? Go get this cd right away. Not sure you want to spend money on it? As far as I can tell, it’s available for free from their website (www.martini-henry.com). For a band named after a type of rifle, Martini Henry show that violence does not always help music, taking reasonably gentle music and making it engaging. The only significant problem with this cd is that “Airaid” noodles for about six minutes before it becomes the awesome instrumental of the last ten minutes. Other than that, End of the Beginning shows an awesome band creating awesome music. There are some similarities to Porcupine Tree (minus the heaviness), except that whereas Porcupine Tree is a grim, almost morbid band, Martini Henry are uplifting. On their website, the band have said, “With the release of “End of the Beginning,” the group feels confident that they have produced a quality product worthy of representing the band after the show is over.” I must say, I agree. Recommended.