Seductive Sky

Carrie Martin

Vinyl Review

Once again we are back with another ‘Vinyl Thoughts’. This time I present to you the beautiful album Seductive Sky by Independent Folk artist Carrie Martin. Pressed by Psychotron Records. Straight away the art work of the album is provocative yet warm in its own way. Just a simple picture of Carrie herself against a natural landscape. Instantly you know that this album is going to be full of earthy tones and heartfelt music. Upon slipping the sleeve out of the sturdy outer sleeve you discover the purple pressing. This is my first purple pressing and I love it. The colour is subtle and again carries a warmth to it, almost a twilight feel (time of day, not the books). Also included is an art poster of Carrie herself and her guitar. For me its a nice little touch when labels add little extras like this to their releases.

Right, with the physical aspects dealt with, lets dive into the music of it all. As soon as the needle hit the record and that gentle hiss kicks in as it spins you are lulled into the album with a strong tone from a very folky guitar. Through a mix of finger picking and hypnotic strum patterns Carrie hooks you with each track and alsmot pulls you into the natural sound of her own music. Vocaly she is reminiscent of artists such as Kate Bush, Eva Cassidy, and Joni Mitchell. Her pitch and tone in her vocal performances blend so nicely with her guitar work that they seemingly meld into one beautiful element of the song. This is really noticeable in ‘Purple Heart’ the song is so uplifting but also has a forlorn element to it that his melding of instrument and core really helps to create.

Each track is full of vivid imagery and raw emotion. While some tracks rely mainly on her voice and the guitar to carry the song there are a few tracks where things are ramped up slightly through the use of piano, fiddle, percussion and atmospheric effects on her voice. In particular ‘The Woman in Me’, which is the final track of the LP contains a boost on its chorus through percussion but then makes great use of finger picking and drop outs to create a song that almost feels alive as you listen to it. This use of light and shade is also used to great effect across the whole album, just really creating a vibrant yet bitter sweet soundscape.

Overall, this release is once again an album worth its pressing. Each track has been recorded, written, and produced with care. It also showcases Carrie’s songwriting ability as an artist who can channel that classic sound but bring her own contemporary twist to it. It is almost like a nostalgic feeling for something you’ve only just heard, if that makes sense. It is definitely worth adding to your collection, especially if you’d like something to put on and listen to as you relax for the evening.

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Buy your copy: Psychorron Records