Dom Martin: “Buried In The Hail” (2023) CD Review

Dom Martin is a guitarist and songwriter based in Belfast and working mainly in the blues realm. He released his first studio album, Spain To Italy, in 2019, following that in 2022 with A Savage Life, and then last year with Buried In The Hail. This newest album features mostly original material, some acoustic and some electric numbers. Joining him on this release are Ben Graham on bass and double bass, and Jonny McIlroy on drums.

The album opens with a pretty instrumental track, “Hello In There.” The guitar has a soothing and welcoming sound. In the second half of the track, the sound of children playing is added. That is followed by “Daylight I Will Find,” featuring a solid blues groove and some excellent guitar work. “It ain’t about the money/Brother, I ain’t made a dime/Now I would love to help you/But I don’t have the time.”  These lines also stand out: “It’s not for you to decide/Not like you to lie/Leave the fear behind you/My, my, how the good times fly.” Dom Martin then slows things down with “Government.” “It’s time to call it a day,” he sings after a rather sweet instrumental introduction, and there is warmth to his delivery. And soon he says, “You make me sick/To my stomach,” lines you’d imagine fitting well in a punk song, yet delivered here in a rather beautiful setting. Dom Martin has said that this song is not about a specific government, but about governments in general. However, I can’t help but think of the bloated fascist bastard who was at the head of our government just a few years ago, and, though facing many criminal charges, is somehow the leading candidate for that party again. What must the rest of the world think of us? I imagine the thought of Trump winning again makes the whole world sick to its stomach. This track concludes as it began, with some nice work on guitar.

Dom Martin then turns to a strong electric blues sound for “Belfast Blues,” where he sings, “Of all the rats in this town/You had to be the one/That we have to fight with/For you to have your fun.” And check out these lines: “Well, I grabbed that shovel/And I dug that hole/I threw myself in/And I watched myself grow.” Those lines are fantastic, combining images of a grave with the idea of planting seeds, the end and the beginning. And the lyrics are delivered with a passionate, raw sound, a sort of intimate growl. That’s followed by the album’s only cover, “Crazy,” a song written by Willie Nelson and made popular by Patsy Cline. The guitar work at the beginning has a haunted feel, setting the tone for this unusual and intriguing rendition. This blues version will make you appreciate the song with fresh ears. There is pain and longing in his delivery. There is also a lonesome vibe about it, and when he sings “Crazy for feeling so lonely,” you can feel it. Then halfway through, the song kicks in, the guitar wailing in a sort of lament. This is a remarkable take on the song.

“Unhinged” was released as a single back in June, and is the track that initially got me interested in this album (a music video was also released for it). This one has a heavy electric blues sound, with a solid groove. “So when you say hello/I know it’s all for show/When you know you’re falling down/But you’re falling slow/Well, just so you know/I’ve heard it all before.” Oh yes, there are so many less-than-genuine people out there, and some of them have played their parts so long they no longer seem to realize they are full of shit. I appreciate these lines: “Getting these stupid prizes/Playing stupid games/Playing stupid games.” But it’s that guitar work that especially stands out. Then “The Fall” opens with the sounds of birds, and soon a soothing, gentle sound on acoustic guitar. So the lyrics come as a surprise: “Can feel the river flowing/Crushed below the rocks/And ruined by the poison.” A strange doom seems to have settled over us. And yet he still reaches out, telling us, “It’s not yet too late.” But there is something haunted about the whole thing. “We’re ready for the fall.”

“Howlin’” is a tribute to Howlin’ Wolf, with that kind of vibe, the band getting into the groove. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “Making women shake/And grown men cry/Making babies born/And birds take to the sky/With his howlin’.” That’s followed by the album’s title track, “Buried In The Hail,” a slow, captivating number. Its first lines are striking: “Take a train into your mind/See what’s left.” The song is like a journey inward, when perhaps you don’t like what you see. And its lyrics contain a nod to Hunter S. Thompson: “Buy the ticket, take the ride.” The sounds of a storm and people arguing provide an unusual bridge in the middle of the song. This is a dark ride, and a highlight of the album. Then “Lefty 2 Guns” is a song inspired by the book Donnie Brasco, and specifically by Benjamin “Lefty Two Guns” Ruggiero, and also by some people that Dom Martin has known in his life. There is an excellent guitar lead in the track’s second half. As the album began, it concludes with a short instrumental piece, this one titled “Laid To Rest,” feeling like a final statement.

CD Track List

1. Hello In There
2. Daylight I Will Find
3. Government
4. Belfast Blues
5. Crazy
6. Unhinged
7. The Fall
8. Howlin’
9. Buried In The Hail
10. Lefty 2 Guns
11. Laid To Rest

Buried In The Hail was released on September 22, 2023 on Forty Below Records.