Martha Love Keeps Kicking

"Funny thing about kicking: it's one of the first and last things we do. In the womb, a fetus kicks to announce an imminent arrival. Meanwhile, laid out on a stretcher, the dying man is 'still kicking' up until his final moment, when the last thing he kicks is the bucket. All through life we take our kicks: teenage kicks, modern kicks, kicks in the gut. These days, with the worldwide rise of fascists, demagogues, abusers, and hypocrites, the kick we feel most often comes while we're down. "From their sudden and deliberate first chord on Love Keeps Kicking, beloved British punk collective Martha announce their intent to kick back. Across eleven tracks, these daughters and sons of Pity Me, England, show that, while our world might be in spiral, there is still plenty worth fighting for. "In many ways Love Keeps Kicking is a breakup record, with each song inhabiting different parts of the process. 'This year blew my world apart' sings guitarist / vocalist Daniel Ellis on album opener 'Heart is Healing.' With lush vocal harmonies (and one of the best riffs in Martha's discography), 'Healing' explores the uncomfortable period between love's end, and when the heart is ready to move on. Elsewhere, the opening chords of 'Orange Juice' (arguably the best song Martha have written to date) echo the kicking of it's narrator's heart, as they suddenly realize with fearful clarity that their longtime relationship is ending-it is Martha at their most heartbreaking, hitting a tender, bittersweet, middle ground between Paul Westerberg and the Pastels. "Maturity in punk is often code for 'boring'. Sometimes that's true, but if Love Keeps Kicking illustrates anything, it's the importance of growth in a stunted world-of knowing how to love what you have, and how to celebrate the loves you've lost. Martha have already made a case for themselves as this generation's Buzzcocks (if not this generation's Clash), and with Love Keeps Kicking fans will likely find themselves discovering even more about the band to love. Because even if the world's going to shit, love keeps kicking." -Mike Huguenor