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It was a warm summer’s evening, so what did I do? Sit outside in the glorious sunshine enjoying a cool drink? Nope, not me! I decided to cram myself into a crowded and sweaty club and drink copious amounts of beer, in order that I might write a music review for Christis (oh, how I suffered!).
Martyn Joseph is a Welsh singer/songwriter, who has been performing live and recording albums since the mid-eighties. Despite being a Christian, he has objected to being labelled a ‘Contemporary Christian Artist’ and his songs are not always overtly ‘Christian’. Instead, Martyn takes the role of a story teller who writes about the pain and the joy in the world around him, sometimes in great sadness, sometimes with a sense of humour and a shrug of the shoulders, but always with deep sensitivity.
The majority of the audience at Fibbers were obviously big fans of the man in question. When he came on stage (just him and his guitar!), the response was ecstatic to say the least.
Martyn’s approach to his music is simple and direct, and this works well as his songs are meant to be listened to. They cover a wide variety of subjects such as relationship problems (Let’s Talk About It In The Morning), injustice (Condition Of My Heart, Please Sir), and songs which are obviously of a more personal nature (Cardiff Bay, which is about his son, and Carried In Sunlight which is about the death of his father ).
Throughout the performance Martyn laughed and told stories which reflected the absurdity of the world in which we live (a subject close to Joseph’s heart). This approach revealed a maturity and an honesty so often lacking in the majority of performers. Joseph has been quoted as saying that he “wants to do more than just entertain”, and this is a goal which he attains without being remotely ‘preachy’. Part of this is due to the fact that he is willing to admit his own failings — in his song Condition Of My Heart he sings, “There are none so blind as those who can’t see, and right now that finger is pointing at me!”. Martyn usually takes the side of the poor and weak, and tries to be sympathetic to the situation in which they find themselves (the song Working Mother is about a mother in dire financial need who sells her body in order to feed her children).
This was a good night for Martyn Joseph. The finger picking of his guitar was impeccable, and it seemed to carry with it a warmth and sensitivity which is all too often missing within more lavish arrangements.
He closed with the haunting Dolphins Make Me Cry and a lump in the throat. The music of Martyn Joseph is direct and challenging — he sings about a world in pain, but through the pain you can hear the spirit of grace whispering to all who take the time to listen.
Martyn Joseph is currently recording a new album, the details of which were unknown at the time of going to press.
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Last modified: 25th November 2005