In spite of it's brevity, this is a CD you will not soon forget.
author: Taelor Richards
Give Me a Little, though seemingly the effort of a much more accomplished artist, is the first release of Rhode Island singer-songwriter Kristi Martel. At just four tracks and sixteen minutes long this EP is short and intense; each song beautifully crafted leaving the listener wanting more.
Martel shies away from the stripped down simplicity of many of her peers, preferring instead to fill her songs with rapid, insightful lyrics, innovative drumming and a constant rhythm of keys. She complements these with powerful, often layered vocals, demonstrating her skills in syncopation by harmonising her vocal tracks and employing up to three separate vocal melodies at a time.
Though each track certainly has a complexity to it, this never gets in the way. Rather, Martel’s unconventional phrasings and wordy lyrics entice her listeners to further explore her music.
Give Me a Little deals with issues such as troubled childhoods and farewelling (or expelling) lovers, but it is not an unhappy collection. ‘Give’ and ‘Rise’ are fast paced, upbeat tracks, while ‘Carrying Stories’ is calmly hopeful. Track four, ‘Comeback’, ends on a sad note, but a feeling of optimism is evident through the majority of the disc, and perhaps even the resolution of this final song is constructive. ‘Give’ in particular places emphasis on Kristi’s optimism, with it’s repetition of ‘I am stronger knowing you. I am stronger knowing me,’ and eventual evolution into ‘You are stronger knowing me. You are stronger knowing you.’
Though fleeting, the CD certainly leaves an impression. The EP is comprehensive and complete, in spite of its brevity, and its four tracks are so diverse in sound that they give the impression of a much lengthier and more polished disc. Kristi’s style is inventive and interesting, and this CD showcases it well.
I give this CD five stars.
Read more...
Kristi Martel - Give Me A Little
author: Girlmedia.com - Geneva World
While Oakland might boast rap, hip hop, and R&B stars, their real talent lies with a young singer/songwriter Kristi Martel. Her style couldn't be farther from the local urban scene, as she composes songs with a folk/jazz/contemporary influence, but this doesn't stop Kristi from being involved in local music pursuits. Kristi's confidence in her words sets her apart from many young musician wannabes, with hints of Ani Difranco and Jewel throughout her EP.
Read more...
Cannot stop listening to this cd!!
author: Melinda Marshall
This cd pierced me so deeply! The words, the music, everything about it speaks to me and makes me thank goddess for kristi's amazing talent with words!
The songs on this cd are like jewels dropped from heaven, and the song Comeback makes me weep and still come back to it for more! GET this cd and you WILL NOT regret it!
Read more...