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CD
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HMRRM 001CD
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Ryan Martin's debut album, For All the Beautiful Losers, is the work of a passionate, bold artist with a wide-screen vision. Drawing on artists like Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, and Townes van Zandt, as well as more modern influences like Sparklehorse and Elliott Smith, these songs are full of timeless melodies, big hooks, evocative lyrics, and buckets of soul. Exploring personal takes on classic themes of love and longing, heartbreak and alienation, Martin's honest lyrics are woven through with compelling imagery and beautiful turns of phrase. From the soulful, Stones-y swagger of "New York Women" to the buoyant indie-folk of "Replacement Avenue" to the fragile beauty of "Blue Blue Winter" and "Either Way (I Am Free)," the depth and range in these songs is striking. Inspired sonic touches abound: the jubilant horns on the Brian Wilson-influenced "Private Holiday"; the hammered dulcimer coda on "Blue Blue Winter"; the regal French horn intro on "Fool in Love"; and the retro-futurist Mellotron and drum machine on "Either Way (I Am Free)" all elevate and illuminate this outstanding collection of songs. Originally from Los Gatos, California, Martin played the cafe and bar circuit from San Francisco to LA as a teenager, eventually landing in New York City in 2009. He soon found both an audience for his music and six deeply talented musicians from the local scene who became the core players on For All the Beautiful Losers and in his powerful live band.
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