Martha and the Muffins
(Muffin Music)
It's been 33 years since Martha and the Muffins gleaned the new wave rumblings coming out of Canada's eastern provinces and melded them into a sound that would soon garner them international appeal. With a top ten single courtesy of "Echo Beach," the band was signed to Virgin Records and subsequently released seven albums, all of which came to represent an artsy, new wave noir which stood them apart from the pack.
Nevertheless, the Muffin's time came and went, and while its co-chairs Martha Johnson and Mark Gane turned to scoring music for movies and television, the Muffins' pretty much turned to toast. That makes Delicate -- an album five years in the making -- the band's first new offering in nearly two decades. Not that the expanse has had any significant impact on their approach; far from it actually. Johnson is as sultry and seductive as ever, the MO still emphasizes groove-intensive rhythms, and the approach overall tends to be more quirky than not. The skittish jolt of "One In A Million," the carefree swing of "Drive," the thunderous roll of "All I Know," and the jungle chants that punctuate "Crosswalk" all testify to a certain specificity. The dance designs also remain intact, from the fluid bass lines of "Sailing Through The Light" to the percussive shuffle and "la la la" chorus of "Mess."
So have Martha and the Muffins been missed? That remains to be seen, but one thing's certain. Delicate is a bold move to reclaim their fame.
Standout Tracks: "Life's Too Short To Long For Something Else." "Drive" LEE ZIMMERMAN
