Sometimes you develop this sort of affection towards an artist that ultimately taints you with the dreaded nemesis of all music journalism - bias. There are only a couple of artists for whom I would throw total objectivity to the wind, and submit to as an absolute fan, and M. Craft happens to be one of them.
The first echoes of 2004's I Can See It All Tonight EP saw Martin (the M. in M. Craft) introduce himself as a potential music press darling - just the right amount of everything required for overwhelming praise and attention. Critical acclaim, however, does not sell truckloads of records most of the time. With a modest success under his belt, Martin disappeared from the spotlight to record his debut in the usual manner until things started to take a turn for the worse. Electrocution from a faulty amp, lack of funds, and the perils of the absent muse crept up until Silver & Fire emerged in 2006.
But what would such a synopsis be without talking about the music? I Can See It All Tonight fused acoustic guitar, elements of pop, bossa nova, and the hushed tone of Martin's vocal. Lyrically, songs such as Sweets told tales of call girls walking the streets, but the song never slips into a black and white rendition of what's right and wrong thanks to the delicate delivery. Come To My Senses pairs a gritty guitar and bass riff with a beat so infectious that Martin hums and sings along with the main verse (not really a chorus) and reaches a moment of perfection.
Silver & Fire, whilst not as coherent as its succinct predecessor, speaks volumes as to what good pop/folk/anti-pop/insert musical genre should be. Even though a few songs from his previous release re-appear on his debut, that's for a good reason: they are actually good. Silver & Fire, the title track, allows each instrument to tremble beautifully, revealing what it is that M. Craft does best - simplicity and beauty. You Are The Music is a deceptively simple melody, and when teamed with the incredibly tacky video clip, makes it all the more lovable. Playgroup have remixed this track - a wicked disco rendition that does justice to the original, and more, with Martin's vocals sounding just as well placed amongst big electronic beats as it does with an acoustic guitar. Jim Noir's anti-bully epic, My Patch, is cleverly re-worked by Martin to include his own vocals and an entirely different instrumental track. If you didn't know any better, you would think this was Martin's own version.
The whole point of such an exercise is to expose people to the music. If just one person listens to, and subsequently loves any track, then my job is done.
Listen:
M. Craft - Come To My Senses (from I Can See It All Tonight)
M. Craft - You Are The Music (Playgroup Remix)
Jim Noir - My Patch (M. Craft Folk Remix)
You can download the entire album of Silver & Fire in instrumental form, from M. Craft's website. Full vocal tracks from Silver & Fire are available on Martin's myspace. Martin plays gigs across London and the UK, but unfortunately not in Australia, where he originally comes from.
Released on 679 Recordings. Buy.
New queen of soul, Alice Russell, is set to hit Australian shores. Not literally, because otherwise she'd find it hard to perform. Appearing at the Byron Bay Blues & Roots Festival, and solo shows in Sydney at The Forum on Friday April 13.
