There’s no shortage of hard feelings on Martin X. Petz second record, Chained. The singer, guitarist, songwriter fills every track to the brim with feelings of betrayal, bad women and being letdown. Unusually, for an approach such as his there’s a lot of light at the end of the tunnel as he pleads with the lord to make things right across the course of the album’s 10 tunes.
A fortified acoustic guitar component animates softer numbers such as the pensive opener “Chained” or downbeat tearjerkers like the lonesome “Kinship” and the prairie-stranded dreamscape “All that I am.” There is no doubt that Petz has been withered by the difficulty of life but he always seems to find a way to look at things outward as opposed to a narcissistic inward perspective. On southern-fried, Cajun cooked servings of introspection, Martin looks to go for salvation on tracks like “Jesus loves us so” and the penultimate, boots in the stirrup gallop of album endnote “Jesus can you hear us?” Even though Petz’ heart is beaten and breaking, he’s not afraid to turn his sadness into a means of positive upheaval for the listener as he croons with all he’s got in him.
Despite the record dwelling (perhaps a bit too much) on genteel numbers that while featuring some riveting, memorable guitar work and somber singing vocals, there are enough moments that pull Martin out of his set mode and dogged ways. “They Say (You’ll Know)” is a frontier trot with geddy up guitar riffs bathed in slide melody, where the rhythm section in in complement agreement on how to handle Petz’s tuneful tempo push. Elsewhere, “It’s Hard” allows acoustic guitar to set the stage for a song that moves like a thirsty horse roaming its way through the desert in hopes of finding the next watering hole. Though additional instrumentation like pianos, trumpet and trombone give flavor to a number of these compositions, the solitary star of the show is Petz’s world worn voice and traipsing acoustic guitars. “Run Ride Leave” is the most roughhewn of the album’s track and it kicks up sand and sod with wraparound guitar licks and an insistent beat that acts like a tribal pulse from start to finish. Here Martin’s vocals slink down into a deep, husky growl that truly sets him apart from a pack of crowded country mavens. “The Way” follows in this tradition and keeps the more gritty edge of Petz’s writing firmly intact. Rounding out the album “This Love” has a dipping, ear-affecting acoustic lick that picks the pace enough to make for a really fun country pop rocker that pulls out all of the stops.
Chained is the work of an accomplished writer and musician, who knows what he wants to do with his sound and how to get the job done. Every song has the potential to be a radio hit and anyone tired of the Taylor Swift takeover should absolutely give Chained a listen because as an album it speaks from the heart and doesn’t tell any lies to its audience…very good work all around.
Cyrus Rhodes
Martin Petz – Chained
REVERBNATION: https://www.reverbnation.com/martinxpetz
