What does Charlotte Martin sound like?

The very best of alternative piano-forward singer-songwriting.

The review of ‘Mercury’ by Charlotte Martin

Since starting her own music school, Charlotte Martin has been brewing all kinds of interesting projects. From supporting her students to creating her own music again, it feels like her creative cup is overflowing. Last year’s ‘Knives & Bouquets’ EP saw her collaborate with students to give a Char-Mar take on songs they’d co-written. ‘Mercury’ extends this out further, as we build towards the release of her next full LP, ‘ Behemoth’.

In many ways, ‘Mercury’ reminds me of early EP ‘Test Drive Songs’. There is a mid-tempo trip-hop beat that accompanies most of the songs on this release, but the sound palette is far wider now. The EP opens with the title track, which showcases Charlotte’s ability to transform a slow burn into something cinematic and soaring. Martin’s vocals are on top form as she repeats “you won’t miss the way I kiss at all” with increasing desperation and passion. The backing vocals are almost operatic, reminding me of Björk’s ‘Oceania’ at times. The pointed piano works a treat, too.

Keeping the mid-tempo drum loops is ‘International Space Station’, a more serene and synthy affair. The piano, percussion, and backing vocals have a pendulum sway to them, as if they are not as burdened by gravity as we are. Test Drive Stromata is how I’d pitch the track, which I appreciate is a very fan-specific niche reference. Again, this is a transformational track as the stunning bridge brings in a gospel, grounding element that elevates the piece to a new height. ‘Chemicals’ is an interesting addition, as it was the lead single on the previous EP. It sounds and feels like a lost track from the Dancing On Needles era, but with a bit more synth work added on. It’s pointed, slinky chorus is playful and cheeky. I can see Martin’s eyes rolling as she sings the main hook in amusement. Elsewhere, the spacious verses bring a melancholy with their understated, filtered approach.

Switching to a powerful piano ballad, we get a demo version of ‘Sometimes (In My Desert, There’s a Spring)’. This is a quintessential Charlotte Martin classic: bombastic piano, impassioned vocals, and a delicate balance of vulnerability and cloaked mystery. The piano motif is something I could listen to repeat for ages, and once again, a monumental bridge rattles your bones to the core. Charlotte’s voice has always had a wide octave range, and this is a masterclass in vocal performance. That said, my personal highlight is ‘Sun / Moon’. A driving drumset, moving faster than anything else on the EP, paired with a trickling melody that Martin perfected decades ago – it hits perfectly. Add in bittersweet lyrics, breaking a heart in devastating real time, I think it’s a potential career highlight.

Taking a Water Breaks Stone era approach to dramatic bridges, and fast piano ballads backed by synths, another banger hits. ‘Closer I Get 2 U’ is another transformational track. Charlotte spends the first three minutes whipping up a whirlpool of speedy piano, deeply resonant synths, and calm vocals. Then it flips a switch into a climactic pounding finale, with huge vocal explosions like the rapture has arrived and taken over. It’s cinematic and affirming. I’d even call the ending a little sassy, but I’ll save that for ‘Im Not Yours’. This is a two-fingered salute to anyone who thinks they can claim Charlotte Martin in any form for their own. The offbeat rhythms, spikey piano, strange electro-bass, and R&B shuffle bring a confident, strident closure to the original songs on the EP. There is a final track, which is ‘Mercury a Capella’, where you can hear the distant drum track through the microphones. It showcases the clever, intricate vocal layers of a Charlotte Martin track. Stems for remixes, anyone?

There are no weak tracks on this EP, which will leave fans salivating for ‘Behemoth’. If these EPs contain tracks that haven’t made the album, I can only expect more of the same quality, or better, to come later. ‘Mercury’ showcases an artist in her element. The bridges in particular are powerhouses – both in songwriting and performance. If you’ve never jumped on the trauma train of a piano-based singer-songwriter who isn’t afraid to mine the depths of their soul for a good song, now is the time. ‘Mercury’ is another triumph from Charlotte Martin.

Recommended track: Sun / Moon

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