Martha - Courting Strong

Courting Strong is a sleeper album.  You have seen little press about it, but it will be on some year-end lists with very sincere and kind words that likely will make you think that you really have missed out on something.  Of course, that is because you really would have missed out on something.  Except that now you won't because I'm telling you.  It may ruin that end-of-the-year-surprise-to-discover-you-are-a-dolt, but you may do something else to earn that honor anyway.  For my part, I am confident that I will sink to the occasion in typical fashion.

However, back to this little gem.  Martha, the presumably proud creators and performers of Courting Strong are three men and one woman from Pity Me in the United Kingdom.  Their songs address growing up in a small town and not completely fitting in.  The vehicles are pop punk tunes bursting with buzzsaw guitars, pop hooks and twee vocals.  You may find some similarities to The Buzzcocks, Joanna Gruesome or Seattle's Tullycraft.  For my money, what causes this band to rise above their peers is the quality of their tunesmithing and passion of their performances.  But you don't have to trust me -- I have three songs embedded below and you can stream the entire album at the Bandcamp link.







Martha are Naomi (bass/vocals), Nathan Griffin (drums/vocals), J. Cairris (guitar/vocals) and Daniel Ellis (guitar/vocals).  Courting Strong is out now via Fortuna POP!

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