Mary Lou Lord – Martian Saints!
This little chunk of ear candy starts with the kooky Daniel Johnston-esque title track Martian Saints, Lord morse-coding a message by theremin (that cool high-pitched, cartoony-sounding ooh-wee), leading into a jauntily repetitive pop-thwanging guitar riff, perfect for a Fox TV sitcom theme. The cover illustration depicts the story of little blonde ponytail girl with a teeny pumpkin, descended upon by a throng of haloed and robed martians emptying clown-car style from a flying saucer.
Of the five songs, four are covers, including Peter Laughners Cinderella Backstreet and Pete Droges Sunspot Stopwatch. The latter, though a fine song with terrific lyrics, shows up as the weakest link here, Lords delivery breathily annoying and rhythmically challenged. Salem 76, a nostalgic original, has snuck its way into my noggin, replaying itself continuously, much like Im Talking To You from her self-titled debut. Yet the finest track by far is a scrumptious rendition of I Figured You Out by the always amazing Elliott Smith, with whom Lord has toured. This is the song to stick on those comp tapes for friends and lovers alike.