Thank God We Left The Garden
Fluff & Gravy, 2023
9/10
Listen to Thank God We Left The Garden
The Portland, Oregon singer-songwriter Jeffrey Martin made great use of a pair of microphones to record these 11 songs live in an 8x10 shack in his backyard, where he had to strategically dodge outside sounds.
The bare and eloquent “Lost Dog” opens the listen with vivid storytelling and warm acoustic guitar, and “Garden” continues that lead with Martin’s expressive pipes alongside the minimal instrumentation that emits much beauty.
Halfway through, “Paper Crown” possesses strong attention to mood, which helps make for a poetic quality, while the heartfelt “All My Love” uses Jon Neufeld’s light electric guitar for the stirring intimacy and gripping songwriting.
Landing near the end, “Sculptor” is another soft and sincere track that mixes thoughtful wordplay with sublime acoustic guitar, and “Walking” exits with a slight grit buried into the bare delivery.
A truly DIY effort that benefits from a ‘less is more’ philosophy, Martin’s vision is honest, comforting and introspective in ways that will always be relevant.
Travels well with: Margo Cilker- Valley Of The Heart’s Delight; Nathan Graham- Saint Of Second Chances