Walter Martin: Arts & Leisure (2016)
Ex-Walkmen singer-songwriter Walter Martin has an easy, whimsical, tongue-in-cheek way with a song that calls to mind people like Jens Lekman and even Paul Simon.
Arts & Leisure is a travelogue of sorts. With wry specificity Martin takes the listener on a tour of places he’s seen, jobs he’s had and people he’s been, with a love of art at the forefront of much of the album.
I don’t know what’s more of a kick here, the lyrics or the playful, kooky arrangements. Percussion like the sound of coconuts takes you “Down by the Singing Sea”, and “Amsterdam” throws bass harmonica and various whistlie and tinklie things into a rollicking mix that may bring Jacques Brell to mind. Fun!
His solo debut, 2014’s We’re All Young Together was a children’s album for adults–something like They Might Be Giants might offer. But on Arts & Leisure, Martin’s childlike playful high-spiritedness is still intact as he explores a wider world. Truly this is an artist with a refreshingly unique world view.
Listen to: “Down by the Singing Sea”
Listen to: “Jobs I Had Before I Got Rich and Famous”
Listen to: “Amsterdam”
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2016/03/11/songs-you-may-have-missed-575/
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2022/04/03/songs-you-may-have-missed-727/
Every Moment Has A Song 