Tag: Dai Jeffries

There are, in my humble opinion, a handful of songwriters who stand head and shoulders above all others in this country. One of them is Martyn Joseph. Troubled Horses is his 28^th studio album – an impressive back catalogue by anybody’s standards – and you can add fifteen live collections, too, EPs and collaborations.

Troubled Horses seems to find Martyn in grizzled old cowboy mode with just acoustic guitar and harmonica and a throatiness in his voice suggesting too many years riding the dusty old trails.The opening track, ‘Let Me Hear Your Voice’, is typical. The singer is a lonely man – “The days are long and the nights are cold” – says it all, really. ‘My Song And My Psalm’ is more typical of Joseph’s output. It’s easy to forget his religious convictions because he carries them lightly but this is the song of a man who wants to do his bit for the world which he does in real life. ‘Eternal Wandering’ sort of turns this on its head, it’s full of the world’s negativity getting in the way. Work your way through that and there is a glimmer of hope.

The title track squarely faces up to the problems of the world – children who grew up to be rioters or riot police or indeed, the refugees about which they are fighting. “The violence of the lambs” is a killer line. Again, Martyn’s words are direct and superficially simple but they carry so much to ponder over. ‘Each Day’ moves on from that – “The hero unspoken, the fool gets applause” – I wonder who that’s about. Martyn’s voice almost cracks as he sings the “doo, doo, doo” chorus. He sings ‘Last Night I Heard America’ in sorrow rather than anger, referencing the songwriters who wrote its 20th century mythology when there still existed the romance of the roads.

A sense of despair emerges with ‘I Wonder I Do’ but there’s a contrasting lightness in his guitar part. With ‘Getting Older’ Martyn acknowledges what many of his fans have come to realise about themselves but the song is one of resilience as he resolves to continue doing what he’s doing. It may be a coincidence but his harmonica here is all Dylan – another guy who is getting older. ‘Mary’s Tears’ is a deeply religious song concerning the Last Supper and the crucifixion, as far as I can judge it, told from the perspective of Joseph in a modern style.

Martyn is trying to find the higher ground with ‘In A World That Breaks Your Heart’ although in his case I’d say he’s looking to maintain it in the face of a chaotic world. ‘Let’s Take Care Of Us Now’ is, I suspect, dedicated to his wife and family and carries a message to us all – take care of each other.

The stripped down nature of Troubled Horses inevitably invites comparison with Springsteen’s acoustic records – Nebraska and The Ghost Of Tom Joad – but it’s more personal. For all its universal messages it can bring a tear to the eye as you search for the seemingly indefatigable positivity in Martyn’s words.

Dai Jeffries

Artist’s website: www.martynjoseph.net

‘Let Me Hear Your Voice’ – official video: