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on my way to you
album review
by carol elliot
carol6@comcast.net


Artist:
Daniel Lee Martin

Title:
On My Way to You

Release
Date: 04.17.07

Label:
ChinMusic Records


      Full of diversity and unique style is the best way to describe Daniel Lee Martin’s second country album. Half way through the 15-song CD, the title number ‘On My Way To You,’ rocks with high energy licks and powerful vocal phrases. But the opener is the one that sounds like a country western hoe down.

      “Here I Go” sings Martin with tenor gusto in ‘Stark Ravin Crazy in Love.’ This song’s fast pace is accompanied with wah-wah pedals and riffs you won’t forget, which is probably why, after being released as a single a few weeks ago, it already gets airtime. Add another of Rivers Rutherford’s lyrics, ‘It’s All How You Look At It,’ and you’ve already heard three great stories, only this one is punctuated with twangy repeats. It moves, not only in a spirit of fun, but also with motivational intent. In fact, all the songs on this album were carefully selected for the stories their writers tell, some tall.

      Licks send ripples of country in a foot-tapping fun piece Martin wrote called ‘Moonshine Mama.’ It competes for the most humorous prize with Neil Thrasher’s ‘Crazy’s All They Got.’ Then there’s Dan Baird’s ‘Keep Your Hands to Yourself.’ Martin delivers some powerful licks accompanied by some gutsy vocal inflections, but not without the help of former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo adding to the vocals. Easy finger-picking and fiddle opens, then chords gain momentum before giving in to romantic guitar licks. ‘That’s Where I’ll Be,’ the last song on the CD, is a sentimental ballad, not without memorable riffs. This one-on-one, just Martin on vocals and guitar, has an almost classical jazz guitar sound. In ‘Roll On By,’ slow banjo prevails. Sensitive background vocals add to the mix.

      This new up-and-coming country singer hails from the Tampa Bay, Florida. He turned down an offer with Atlantic Records to go with a new label, ChinMusic. After a successful tour endorsed by Wal-Mart, Martin knew he was making the right choices. He soon became the most talked about independent artist in 2004 (CMT Magazine.) An avid hunter and fisherman, Martin is also host of Backstage & Backroads airing this season on the Sportsman Channel.

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