Christina Martin: Impossible to Hold Release Party at the Marquee

christina martin. photo by sarah jamer.

Christina Martin had the release party for her sixth studio album, Impossible to Hold, on September 14th, 2018 at the Marquee Ballroom in Halifax and she, seemingly effortlessly, brought the house down with a truly flawless performance of both her newest music and some older fan favourites.

The evening opened with a performance from Villages, a folk group from Cape Breton, who performed three of their original songs. The influence of The Pogues is especially evident in the lilting “Hymn After Hymn,” while “Sonny” is an ode to Ron Hynes’ “Sonny’s Dream” and a true infusion of contemporary sensibilities with a rollicking folk heartbeat.      

It’s a testament to Christina Martin’s vocal and guitar playing prowess, the immense skill of her band (Jason Vautour (bass), Jordi Comstock (drums), Adam Warren (guitar), Dale Murray (guitar, vocals)), and Martin’s ability to connect directly with an audience that her live performance not only does incredible justice to her recordings, but also gives us an additional edge and sense of immediacy and strength. She began the evening with Impossible to Hold’s title track, a rock ballad that contemplates the relationship one has with someone larger than life, an idol, a rockstar, or anyone we have placed on that kind of pedestal, whose being, essence, and influence is impossible to contain, own, or hold. The lyrics are beautifully poetic, and the music builds to a soaring crescendo, it is like a love letter to the rockstars who have inspired her from someone whose proven time and time again to be a rockstar in her own right. She then shifts effortlessly toward the more pop-y second track “Always Reminding,” whose catchy hook has been my favourite earworm of the summer. An uplifting love song about having faith in someone else’s consistency, “Always Reminding” captures our need to remind ourselves that love exists for us, even if our self doubt is saying otherwise. It’s exactly the type of song I would put on, especially if I was feeling Anxious, to dance around in my room. 

Martin’s haunting vocals are especially suited to the type of storytelling she showcases in “Deep Dark Red,” a song about the refugee crisis, and “Lungs Are Burning,” about Canada’s mounting drug epidemic. “Deep Dark Red” has a darker and more ominous feeling to it as Martin imagines what it would be like to live in a state of perpetual uncertainty, lack of safety and reliance on the kindness and mercy of strangers, while also suggesting the indifference so many refugees face instead. “Lungs Are Burning” is more uptempo, but just as full of empathy, focusing on the yearning hearts of those who are looking for a fix while “reaching to fill [themselves].” Here, it is not the addiction that Martin sings of, but the pain that the addition seeks to soothe, encouraging the listener to connect to the humanity of that pain, trauma and illness wholeheartedly. Despite its dark themes, it’s a song that seems to invite listeners to move along with its cathartic beats and sing along too, perhaps suggesting that the solution is in our combined voices and momentum, and the empowerment of our united consciousness. 

She oscillates back to pure rock for “Foreign,” which featured especially brilliant guitar playing by Martin, Murray, and Warren, and then brings the energy immediately down for the quieter and deeply intimate “Winter.” Martin’s gorgeous voice is the star in all her songs, but this song especially showcases the richness and vocal range of a voice that has a strength and clarity you just want to curl up in. “Noise and Toys” is a darker, hauntingly poetic plea that asks, “would it kill you to let go for tonight?,” suggesting one’s struggle to connect with or help someone in a self destructive tailspin that may be beyond that person’s immediate control. The storytelling in her lyrics here is immediate and heartbreaking.       

“Keep Me Calm” is similar thematically to “Always Reminding,” it’s a love song that pays tribute to the calming and steadying influence that a solid relationship can provide. Watching Martin perform this song beside her husband, guitarist and producer Dale Murray, was especially sweet. The last two tracks on Impossible to Hold are “Where the Dark Meets the Light,” which delves deep into the artistic process, which can be both frightening and invigorating, sometimes simultaneously, and “Lay You Down” a thoughtful reflection on letting go.

Martin also treated us to some fan favourites from her earlier albums, including 2015’s It’ll Be Alright (ECMA winner for Pop Recording of the Year) and 2012’s Sleeping With a Stranger. Her joyful enthusiasm for performing throughout the evening was infectious, and she treated us to some entertaining stories from her past adventures, including one particularly funny one about her time nannying for a family in Germany. The ambiance at the Marquee Club was certainly one that embraced the spirit of a party. There was a drink list inspired by the titles of Martin’s songs, and Wasco AV provided lighting and projections that reflected the feelings of each song without detracting attention from Martin, whose star power was firmly rooted centre stage for the entire evening.  

A lot has been written about how cool Christina Martin is, and with good reason, she exudes it, and she shares it generously; you feel cooler for being in the room with her. I think here on the East Coast we aren’t used to thinking of ourselves as cool, like coolness is some kind of tropical plant that doesn’t grow here organically, but Martin challenges this fallacy, and is a testament to the fact that, as she sings to her music idols, like Annie Lennox, David Bowie and Bruce Springsteen, in Impossible To Hold, somewhere out there is a younger singer songwriter looking up to Martin in the same way. 

Impossible to Hold is available on LP ($29.99) or CD ($19.99) from Christina’s Online Store, digital copies are available on iTunes or for streaming on Apple Music or Spotify.  

You can see Christina Martin perform in the following cities and towns this Fall: