Martyr Kanin – 鈥楤lack & Blue鈥�
I always look forward to listening to new releases from area artists. The much-anticipated third album from Martyr Kanin proves to be the band鈥檚 best.
On 鈥淏lack & Blue,鈥� the Uniontown-based trio balances a satisfying combination of engaging softer arrangements positioned around edgier numbers possessing a darker side. With Michael Miskanin III on vocals and guitar, Charlie Kiel on drums and Ross Hamilton on bass, the versatile band delivers strong songwriting and carefully orchestrated musical arrangements that tell detailed stories of life and love in a straightforward manner.
On the light side, 鈥淚 Can鈥檛 Explain It鈥� opens the album with soothing acoustic guitar and Miskanin鈥檚 comforting vocals fronting a mid-tempo confessional that melodically unfolds into a quest for direction in a world full of temptations and overpowering sensations. The band鈥檚 simplistic sound, woven with threads of unwavering honesty, poetic zeal and poignant observations, reminds me of the fresh, invigorating soft rock produced by Jon Pousette-Dart and his band back in the 1970s.
鈥淐ruise Control鈥� gently kicks into a bluesy cautionary tale about a budding romance while the title track begins with a harmonica opening that evokes the style of Blues Traveler before transforming into an infectious dissertation on navigating life鈥檚 bumps and bruises. The album鈥檚 tone seamlessly transitions from promising to somber with 鈥淒ead Man鈥檚 Hand鈥� conveying an ominous undertone as Miskanin professes, 鈥淚鈥檇 rather die to live than live to die.鈥�
鈥淏etter check yourself before you wreck yourself,鈥� warns Miskanin on the equally dark 鈥淒evil鈥檚 Playground鈥� which paints a haunting mural dotted with hints of ignorance, deceit and lies.
For me, the standout performance is featured on 鈥淕oin鈥� Anyway.鈥�
Sounding like a young Jon Bon Jovi, Miskanin passionately pitches a telling number about taking chances and moving forward regardless of the cost. The true heart and soul of the band is captured on this single track that is simply perfect for regular radio airplay. Martyr Kanin performs an album release party on Saturday at 9 p.m. at the Stone House.