“Never let me go,” Gail Marten sings in the opening track of her album, In Love…Again. But she’s not just singing, she’s pleading. And you’re not just listening idly; you’re transfixed and fascinated by the voice in your ears, a voice of maturity and depth, smooth and airy, the voice of someone who knows a lot more than you do.
The songs are ripe with emotion, and not just from Marten herself. For instance, “Never Let Me Go” and “If He Walked Into My Life” feature very passionate solos from pianist Larry Willis, who is able to transfer Marten’s heartache at the thought of losing her love into his own fingers, proving that he possesses the technical skill and heart to be a true jazz player.
Marten proves her phenomenal talent in songs penned by others, but she also shines in “Reinventing Me,” a song that she co-wrote that offers a kind of tongue-in-cheek perspective of a woman who reinvents herself for a man, from slimming down and dying her hair to getting Botox. It’s a fun, upbeat song in which she promises that all the collagen and hair dye can’t prevent her from being herself, with lyrics that prove this singer is both wise and clever on top of her passion and raw talent.
Above all, Gail Marten believes in love, as she sings in “Alfie.” “Without true love, we just exist,” she croons to the title character. And even the most skeptical of listeners will want to believe her, as it is obvious Marten has loved and lost, but still she is okay. Well, more than okay. She’s strong, and she’s on top, which resonates on her incredible album. With such a strong voice, if Gail Marten tells me to believe in love, I will definitely believe in love.
Review By: valerie Williams
Rating: 4.5/5
