What does Charlotte Martin sound like?

Piano-alt-pop with an operatic, quirky flair.

The review of ‘Stromata 2.0’ by Charlotte Martin

In 2006, Charlotte Martin released one of my favourite albums of all time. ‘Stromata’ was Charlotte’s second official album release and the first as an independent musician after leaving RCA Records. It was a bold swing and hit of electronica, tribal-infused drums, bold piano motifs, and a wild outpouring of vocals that proved utterly compelling to anyone who discovered the album. It spawned probably the most well-known track of Martin’s career, ‘The Dance’.

Fast-forward 20 years and Charlotte Martin is in a phase of rediscovery as a musician and artist. ‘Stromata 2.0’ is something of a gift that many other artists could consider exploring (hi Tori) as it is a full album performance from start to finish, with just Charlotte at the piano, occasionally using it as a percussive drum. Martin has long been known as a dynamic, emotive, and powerful live performer. This recording shows she’s lost none of her live chops as she wields the piano and her voice as a sonic weapon.

13 of the 14 tracks are performed, leaving the operatic ‘Just Before Dawn’ behind. Substituting in is a bonus rendition of Little Universe, entitled ‘Universe 2.0’. I’m not sure if it’s a pre-demo or a rework, but it’s a synth-harmonium and drum loop piece that replaces the vacuum-packed, stittish original sound with a digital raj. Martin freeform ad-libs on an extended outro like a freebird. It’s a nice switch-up, and trip-hop fans will enjoy this version more, perhaps.

The live performance is a powerhouse one. From the off, ‘Stromata 2.0’ shows the piano no mercy, with a slower, more deliberate outpouring for the bridge leading to a pounding finale. If you forgot how accomplished Charlotte’s piano playing is, this performance will remind you all over again. ‘Cut The Cord 2.0’ turns the rhythmic piece into a cascade of synths. It sounds like a completely new song. Effects and samples are triggered across the performance, but here is the biggest departure. ‘Little Universe 2.0’, for example, triggers rhythmic computer glitch percussion like the original, whilst keyboard synths fill out the minimal piano arrangement. Charlotte’s upper register turns the claustrophobic original into something oddly gospel-like with an extended outro. ‘Drip 2.0’ sits between these two tracks as a soulful piano and vocal arrangement. ‘Civilized 2.0’ turns from a rageful cataclysm into a slow, brooding crawl as a piano and vocal piece. Hearing it slower and slinkier gives it a whole new mood.

The angelic ‘A Hopeless Attempt 2.0’ is wrapped up in an aural keyboard haze whilst the sweet electronic piano is replaced by delicate piano that is softened by the synth haze. Beautiful and almost stately, it works so well in this new form. ‘Four Walls 2.0’ extends the track by three minutes, mainly because a random synth gets triggered at the end, so Charlotte Martin goes off into a bonus improvisation. The main track performance is a piano solo rendition of the original, not the Funeral version, so we get the “my elevators down” section. ‘Inch 2.0’ flips between the rolling piano rendition of the original and a more bouncy piano arrangement in places. A personal favourite track, I’ll take whatever I can get, and the blooming finale is perfectly balanced between power, hope, and sorrow.

‘Keep Me In Your Pocket (Improv) 2.0’ is labelled as such because there’s a bombastic piano outro that recounts the sassy melody like a thunderdrome. We can count on Charlotte’s internally awkward humour to provide side commentary, and various self-deprivating and moments of relief are recorded between tracks. This surfaces best on ‘Pills 2.0’, where she adds additional pokes of fun at the lyrics about her medication recommendations and how rubbish most of them are. It’s a riot. ‘Cardboard Ladders 2.0’ is a soulful rendition, close to the original, given extra time to breathe. ‘The Dance (Acoustic) 2.0’ brings back the piano slapping drum loops before the monumental rapture of the finale kicks in. Charlotte jokes before she starts that her voice may not hold out, but she delivers a rowdy and gutsy performance. The vocal gymnastics displayed over the 75-minute performance are impressive, and that rounds off with the soft, confident landing of ‘Redeemed 2.0’. The relief and joy Charlotte Martin expresses at the end are both endearing and humorous. It is clear she’s put a lot into this one-off recording, and it shows.

Whilst the performance itself is a 10/10 and absolutely stunning, I have two minor critiques. There are a few tracks that have extended periods of silence at the end of them. For example, ‘Pills’ has two minutes of dead air. A little trimming would have spruced up what is clearly a labour of love. Also, everything from ‘Keep Me In Your Pocket’ onwards is louder and has some vocal peaking in the recording. That’s a shame, but as someone familiar with listening to tape-recorded bootlegs, a little peaking never dulls a performance like this.

Ultimately, ‘Stromata 2.0’ is for the fans. I would not recommend starting here if you are new to Martin’s music. I would recommend starting with the original album, however. It is as timeless as it is an indie all-time great. Whilst she’s never been given her flowers, real ones know what a well of awesome our Char Mar is. Redeemed? Never disgraced.

Recommended track: Inch 2.0

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