Jeff Martin's first two albums - 2001's 'Still' and 2004's 'Spoons' - got more or less lost in the post-2000 avalanche of Wexford Street troubadours - a shame, because both are special and Martin is a serious and imaginative talent. And, as the line up for this redux record shows, he has some heavyweight admirers.
Here locals like Decal, Chequerboard, Stephen Shannon and the Dublin Guitar Quartet and bigger names like John McEntire (Tortoise), Minotaur Shock, David Pajo (Papa M, Slint) and John Parish culture up 'Spoons' in their own peculiar way.
While some tracks are more than immediate than others, thither are flashes of splendour throughout - Pajo's work on 'Anyone's Pocket' ranks among his own career's best - and, crucially, your delectation is non dependent on having heard the source material.
Martin will have a new collection out soon; in the meantime this is a fine way to savour the past and anticipate the future.
Harry Guerin
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