Jeff Martin and Steve Padin – The First Joke & Other Matters
Release Date: January 19, 2010
Record Label: Unsigned
From the ashes of This Day & Age, from the heart of one who left the industry to get a "real job," and from the soul of a drummer with something to say comes The First Joke & Other Matters by Jeff Martin and Steve Padin. The guitarist and drummer collaborate on a project that is less Outkast than it is Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, but the back and forth dichotomy on the release is something the blends together without distraction.
Kicking off with "Page in Book," hearing Martin's vocals after years without anything new is a welcome sound. He effortlessly brings the charming and mellifluousness that made The Bell and the Hammer so memorable and this song is just another beautiful sounding page in his career. I am being completely candid when I say that I feel like I could have a meaningful relationship with his voice with how it kicks in on this song.
If unaware of how the album is set up, the next song will throw you off, as it is Steve Padin doing the vocals and music. As far as I know, this is his first we've heard him singing on an album, and he doesn't disappoint. A stark difference to Martin's simplistic vocal-driven atmospheric performance, Padin balances a more experimental electronic-tinged sound that truly displays his versatility as a musician.
The rest of the album is a clear showcase of the two's individual abilities as songwriters, their crafts on full display for a half hour of musical bliss. This is the type of album that you want to listen to with headphones while laying down with your eyes closed. Though the natural flow of the album is disjointed by the trading songs, so that can be a bit unsettling at time to be really into one song and then have the next song throw you off. I did not find this to be a problem, as I enjoy every single song. It's going to be tough to find an album that has this much of a difference between songs while remaining both relaxing and enjoyable.
Though they gravitate toward a different sound, the root of The First Joke & Other Matters is good, mellow music that should be on anyone's radar for 2010. While we may have lost This Day & Age, Martin and Padin have done a great job filling the void with a worthy addition to anyone's collection.
Not sure i understand the Outkast reference at all.
But a nice review of a good disc. Not great, not amazing, but good.
I hope this isn't the last we hear of Jeff Martin.
Not sure i understand the Outkast reference at all.
But a nice review of a good disc. Not great, not amazing, but good.
I hope this isn't the last we hear of Jeff Martin.
On Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, the group made two solo discs and released them together. One was a Big Boi album, the other was a Andre 3000 album; half of this album is Jeff Martin's music, the other half is Steve Padin's.
On Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, the group made two solo discs and released them together. One was a Big Boi album, the other was a Andre 3000 album; half of this album is Jeff Martin's music, the other half is Steve Padin's.
That much I understand, but the genres don't seem comparable. Just feels like a bit of a stretch. No worries. You provided a nice write-up and that's what matters. Cheers.
That much I understand, but the genres don't seem comparable. Just feels like a bit of a stretch. No worries. You provided a nice write-up and that's what matters. Cheers.
Was not comparing genres, was comparing it to how the album is released under them together but composed of individual efforts like Outkast did with that release. That's all.
The Jeff Martin songs are wonderful. I enjoy Steve's as well, but I'm such a huge fan of Jeff it's almost unfair for them to be on the same record. Beautiful album. Even my mother likes it.
The Jeff Martin songs are wonderful. I enjoy Steve's as well, but I'm such a huge fan of Jeff it's almost unfair for them to be on the same record. Beautiful album. Even my mother likes it.
I agree wholeheartedly. As much as I love Steve's songs, I feel like I can relate more to Jeff's work.
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