If you have never enjoyed music by the now defunct band The Tea Party, or have never been an aficionado of Jeff Martin’s dulcet tones then don’t waste your money on this LP… On the other hand, if you are a fan of aforesaid band/singer then run out now or log onto your online music supply and buy the new effort by Jeff Martin 777, The Ground Cries Out, because you’ll be enraptured.

It’s not often that I can say that I enjoyed listening to all the tracks on an album, and whilst I believe Martin misses the mark on one or two songs here, in the main this is a very worthwhile offering. Martin and co. attempt to diversify but overall Jeff Martin still sounds like Jeff Martin. There are 11 tracks on this LP and most tick a number of Teaparty boxes. Firstly there is a definite middle-eastern influence on some of the tracks, with “The Ground Cries Out” being much like a call to prayer. If I was woken at 4am by such a song I’m sure I wouldn’t curse too much. Secondly there are the dark lyrics so typical of J.M.’s writing. “The Cobra” is about temptation and danger, and takes me back to songs like “The Bazaar”, with its exotic overtones. There are a couple of instrumentals with “Blue Mountain Sun” being typically guitar driven. Last (but not least), there is the guttural sound of Jeff Martin’s voice, which is aptly brooding and soulful on the darker tracks.

Jeff Martin, J. Cortes (bass) and Malcolm Clark (drums), can pump out some pretty convincing blues too. I hope there will be more music of this genre coming from this new outfit. Listen to “Queen Of Spades” and be blown away. The opening bars remind me so much of the former blues great R.L. Burnside. There’s even a touch of Ash Grunwald here, illustrating that the bluesy songs successfully blend with funk to produce a hybrid sound and give this band a dimension that The Teaparty never fully explored.

The two songs that probably would disappoint most punters are “She’s Leaving”, which is a drone that seems to lose it’s way, and “Santeria”, which pulls out some big punches musically but doesn’t have any substance lyrically. These are definite ‘B sides’. I won’t dwell on the negatives, because as I’ve indicated, this LP is truly interesting. It’s not often that you hear a Cambodian coconut violin being played in an alternative rock song, but you do hear one in “The Mekong”.

The LP finishes on a high note. “The Pyre” features some more unusual instruments (this time tabla, oud and snare snare) along with the ever-present guitar. This would probably be my favourite track because it’s unconventional in many ways but also has a big rock sound and that characteristic oh-so-sexy Jeff Martin croon. This one’s a definite winner.

Review Score: 8.5/10