Martha and the Muffins, circa 1980

Martha and the Muffins are the Canadian Blondie, the overlooked 80’s pop geniuses, your new best friends. I first heard of them a few years back while living in a ridiculously expensive and cold apartment in the Rosemont ghetto. My roommate was a big 70-80’s indie post punk/alternative music fan and we’d spend some time in the living room eating ramen noodles and talking about all the music that was made way before we were even conceived and complaining about how shitty pop music was nowadays. That’s when Martha & the Muffins (also known as M + M, MatM) came along. They were the answer to this ache I had, the ache to find the perfect iconic Canadian indie pop band. Long story short, they released an incredible album called Metro Music back in 1980 and its first single, “Echo Beach”, made it to the top of charts in Canada, Australia and the UK. Core members Martha Johnson and Mark Gane remained while various band members gravitated around the eternal M + M ship. Rumours of a new album, now known as Delicate, had been circulating for several years before they officially announced its eminent release back in the summer of 2008. It’s the very first new material put out by the band since 1992’s Modern Lullaby. The forthcoming release of Delicate is the moment of truth; it’s time to see if the music matured wisely or if the sugary keyboards turned sour.

The album’s first track, “Drive”, brings back the good old “Echo Beach” breeze, trumpets resonating in the background mixed with Johnson’s particular voice and layers of guitar. The sound is familiar and in a way it’s reassuring, to know that after all these years they’ve still got it, that they’re still there.  Martha and the Muffins welcome you back with their arms wide open, like your parents on Christmas break minus the homemade food and with more spunk. “Mess”, Delicate’s first single, has been floating around Youtube since last December. Voices echo, feathered hair resurfaces, I’m in sudden need for shoulder pads on that dress please. “All I Know” and “Blue Bed” feature a more modern sound, bringing a novelty to the ears of new Martha listeners. It’s those tracks that will win over a whole new audience. The noteworthy “Even in the Rain” serves as the album’s acoustic guitar-ridden ballad. They stripped down the echoes and the keyboards and left the song brilliantly simple. If someone gave me Delicate and asked me to guess when it was recorded, I would’ve said sometimes in the glorious 80’s. It doesn’t have to be a bad thing, M&M’s latest release is extremely joyous and enjoyable, but I would suggest that if you want to know what they’re all about, you first get your hands on Metro Music or, even better, Far Away in Time (a compilation put out in the early 2000’s). On its own, Delicate will please old fans and satisfy young ears. Martha and the Muffins are like a great wine or a fine cheese, they only get better with age.

For more Martha and the Muffins, visit their official website.