A shimmering dose of spring laced nostalgia has landed from Liverpool based songwriter and musician, Martha Goddard.
‘Mirror Vision’, an up-tempo, indie-synth banger melds Martha’s trademark ethereal vocals with lyrics cutting deep into ignorance and the small-mindedness we’ve all grown accustomed to seeing over the last two years.
The track is Martha’s first solo single, a step away from her role in five-piece indie-pop band Hushtones after a run of shows up and down the country supporting Red Rum Club, Tim Burgess and more.
It’s a weird and wonderful dichotomy of cathartic vocals calling out callous behaviour and desperation in a larger-than-life tune, almost preaching a semblance of the future and what we need to do. It’s reminiscent of Stevie Nicks’ first solo works during her time with Fleetwood Mac always looking inward, outwards and upwards.
‘Hold tight, you go slow, keep in mind what you don’t know’
Martha has a unique talent in all her works to craft and deliver lyrics almost like gospel, simplicity is the key to her breath-taking delivery. As she says on the track; ‘everything’s so clear’. Unlike many artists, she’s found her perfect balance and it’s exhilarating to experience as listeners.
Creating a name for yourself in the music scene of Liverpool is no easy feat, it remains an unmatched city in terms of music exports. Yet, Martha has managed to make it happen twice and become the voice of the ‘post-pandemic’ (whatever that means) version of the city.
‘Mirror Vision’ is an excellent way to kick off a solo career. Channelling Caroline Polachek, Kate Bush and Sharon Van Etten in a springtime hit delivered with intoxicating confidence and dreamy hooks.
Martha Goddard is working to move us out of the music we found ourselves holed up in during lockdown and leading us into the up-tempo world we hope to manifest for the rest of the year.
Words by David R