Martin Flett - Becoming Human

Published Sunday 22nd January 2012
Martin Flett - Becoming Human
Martin Flett - Becoming Human

STYLE: MOR / Soft Pop
RATING 6 6 6 6 6 6
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 115392-18180
LABEL: Independent
FORMAT: CD Album
ITEMS: 1

Reviewed by Brendan O'Regan

In this self-penned collection the Warwickshire-based singer/songwriter ponders the nature of being human. And he starts at the very beginning with the ultrasound image of an unborn baby in the womb on the album cover art. The songs are reasonably well written with plenty of imagery to get the listener thinking. Some are a little overused ("window of opportunity"), some quite striking ("let's raise another hour-glass to all the dreams that never came to pass"). The mood varies - sometimes there's guarded optimism, as in the track "Tomorrow (You Never Know)" - "So keep on breathing, keep on believing,/'cause you never know just what tomorrow might bring." Yet at other times the mood wavers between uncertainty and bleakness, as in "Become", co-written with Rich Bee: "Is this what we've become?/Pretentious fools, in this our paradise of pain". This is just one of many questions raised as Flett reflects on humanity. The title track seems to get to the core of his concerns: "Is this what it's all about? Through this breaking are we breaking out?/Are we becoming, becoming more than 'only human'?" Definitely more questions than answers! There are hints of a spiritual dimension, also in the song "Become" - "Are we blind to some potential? Some divinely elemental state of being?/Is there something else we should be seeing?" Musically the album is appealing enough, with some catchy melodies, varying from the acoustic rootsy sounds of "No Such Thing" to the rocking "Welcome", but I feel the vocals need to be delivered with more confidence.

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