Stan Martin

Stan Martin Love Ain't That Tough Gibraltar RecordsLike Rodney Crowell,Martin is a country artist who owes a clear but honorable debt to the Beatles and the British Invasion. You hear it in "Blue,Blue Tears," and like those artists, Martin is a fan of Roy Orbison. He doesn't have Orbison's voice (who does?),but in his pacing,dramatic arrangements, and heartfelt singing, you hear the echoes. He also knows his way around a guitar neck and has affection for deliberate , fat-toned, low register Telecaster solos that add texture and depth. That mature, disciplined-but-not-constrained approach works especially well on the mid-tempo swing of "Missing You Blue," and in tandem with co-producer Michael Dinallo's empathetic rhythm guitar. All 11 tracks on the disc are Martin originals, and though he sometimes settles for the easy lyric,he is so fresh and adept at moving from style to musical style that he reduces that fact to a quibble. Martin and Dinallo come from a young-ish Boston/New England music scene that simultaneously embraced both country and blues, and produced authentic,satisfying examples of both. That authenticity may mean Martin will find himself exiled from mainstream country radio, where he'll be in good company with people like Crowell,Kate Campbell, and Jim Lauderdale. RA- Vintage Guitar April 2009