Martin X. Petz - Broken Man
The latest full length release from
Detroit native Martin X. Petz, Broken Man, is another fine work from a
singer/songwriter who’s prodigious output in recent years is marked, among
other things, by the uniformly high level of the material. Some experienced
with his work might lump him into the contemporary Christian category, but they
couldn’t be any further off. There’s no question that this album, as well as
previous efforts, touches upon concerns about maintaining spiritual faith in an
often faithless world. Other songs, however, look outside the micro and
appreciate people’s trials and the effect it has on them. Petz has a real
talent for characterization and adopting different voices through his lyrics.
These thematic variations all point back to one central truth about him as an
artist and performer – he wants nothing more than to communicate with his songs
and the unvarnished simplicity and willingness to engage that each of them
demonstrate is impossible to deny.
“Broken Man”, the title song, is unlike
any other song on the album. The loping bass groove established in the opening
seconds continues throughout and there’s some top notch electric guitar work
that further enlivens the song. He shifts into a more familiar gear on the
album’s second track “Noble Blues” and will win over a lot of new listeners
with his confident roots rock approach that never gets too brash for its own
good. The lyrical content is a perfect illustration of the ability he has with
drawing characters mentioned earlier in the review. A few songs on Broken Man
adopt a largely acoustic approach and the first, “Fall”, is an intimate track
that will move many emotionally. Petz’s acoustic guitar work is never fancy for
the wrong reasons and, instead, concentrates on fleshing the melody out to its
fullest potential.
The pensive tempo and tasteful electric
guitar that carries the bulk of “Castaway” helps set it apart as one of the
finest crafted songs on the album. The sound and approach of the arrangement
suggests that Petz took a great deal of time to make sure he got this song
right; he coaxes it out with delicacy and a careful take on its lyrics that
emphasizes the emotion behind the song. There’s a slight Tex-Mex feel to the
musically saucy track “Run Ride Leave” that gives it a different color than
earlier songs. Petz’s lyrics are a little regretful, but ultimately forgiving.
The album’s second to last song “They Say (You’ll Know)” seems geared a little
towards possible radio play and, if so, it’s certainly well-fitted to achieve that
kind of success. Few songs on Broken Man are melodically stronger or quite as
likeable overall.
Broken Man works nicely from beginning
to end and makes a deep impact without ever being overly ambitious. Petz picks
his spots however; there’s a number of influences easily spotted in the music
but, overall, he shows a willingness to follow his own musical path and has the
skill to pull it off.
9 out of 10 stars.
PLAY GOOGLE: https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Martin_X_Petz_Broken_Man?id=B22qjih4el66rmfrl2e2nxj2vdy
Dale Butcher
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