CMJ Weekly
IDAHO Three Sheets To The Wind
Caroline, 114 W.
26th St., New York, NY 10001 212-989-2929
On Three Sheets To The Wind, Idaho’s music moves away from the shroud of
sleep-rock which covered it on previous releases. Lead potato, singer/guitarist
Jeff Martin, has blossomed as both a songwriter and an all-around sad guy;
where earlier songs were startlingly pretty, nothing was as earnest, strong and
heartfelt as the 10 tunes here. Adding to this combination of gorgeous songs
and Martin’s growing range as a vocalist is the band, which adds a melodic
backdrop without overwhelming the melodies. The emotional depths and warmth of
the songs are as strong as Mark Eitzel’s, and at
times Martin definitely seems to share more than a few touchstones with Eitzel, but where it’s easy to peg both artists as unrelenting
Gloomy Guses, it’s not true in either case. On “Pomegranate
Bleeding,” for instance, the music takes a hard, fast turn which belies the generally
mournful tone on the rest of the record. Even on the most despairing songs,
Martin adds a sweetness that counteracts his woeful lyrics and lingeringly sad
melodies. The most impassioned song on the record, “Shame,” also has some of
the most passionate playing, with a catchy chorus which also features some of
Martin’s searing emotion. Three Sheets To The Wind is
a very personal collection of songs from as artist who has grown into a mature,
thoughtful songwriter and has the band to back him up.
MEGAN FRAMPTON