We call this punk because they do, but it’s as much indie as punk, and it’s rather marvellous. Hailing from the splendidly named hamlet of Pity Me (either a shortening of something like Petit Mere or an ironic name for an agriculturally barren area), Martha play a kind of indie emo punk.
Musically, it’s bright and breezy, and slightly raucous and ramshackle, a bit like The Undertones (another DIY band) on speed. They’re certainly brash and the songs have a swagger but it’s also endearing and, for a band apparently singing overtly political lyrics, even a little sweet. But there’s plenty of feedback, reverb and shouting to keep it harder edged.
Lyrically, they apparently address various eight topics — work, money, society, night terrors and being gay at school, as well as finding love in the washing powder aisle. We just like the music.
Try the punkier Chekhov’s Hangnail.
Review Corner 