Martin Gilmore – Thea is a Light Blue
Martin Gilmore is a skilled songwriter guitarist who’s been validated with several festival songwriting wins including Kerrville, and the 2024 Telluride Troubadour and Rocky Mountain Folks Fest songwriting events. This album is just Martin singing and playing acoustic guitar as he regales the listener with a combination of originals and traditional folk songs, with some of his recent winning songs in the mix. This is the kind of album that pulls you to listen all the way through; as each song opens you’re hooked afresh by the guitar playing and you’ll stay to listen to the storytelling that unfolds.
With excellent fingerpicking acoustic guitar melodies, Martin launches the album with the traditional folk song “Ain’t It A Shame,” an intimate sounding but old-timey folk rendition. You can easily imagine him kicked back on the front porch to play this in the summertime breeze: “Ain’t it a shame to take a drink on Sunday, ain’t it a shame.”
“Thea Is a Light Blue” is a lighthearted number that’ll inspire you to step out and dance, as the song pays lovely homage to someone who’s loved deeply as she has supported her partner in return over ups and downs. This is a celebration of a little bit of aging together – a few years have passed and the colors of various memories all make up “this picture of you is a picture that you drew.” “I’ve Been Riding Fences” turns to a darker more reflective mood with “I’ve been riding fences in the rain / well it doesn’t seem that long ago you said you’d come out here with me / to this little prairie ranch house where you asked where are the trees / where you didn’t like the dust and wind and you said you felt alone.” But the trees that she planted grew, and he enjoyed the shade and the passage of time settled them well together.
“Old King John” highlights Martin’s rich guitarwork in a song that is layered and could easily be an undiscovered traditional song, except it’s an original. The artful lyricism breathes life into this story: “Old King John rules with cruelty and fear, he’ll break you on the wheel or he’ll cut off your ear.” An unfortunate testament that cruelty is timeless. Later in the album Gilmore covers Hank Williams’ co-write with Jimmie Davis “Lonesome Whistle” and the guitar playing is gentle, complex and clear. It’s a pretty version.
The songwriting here is superb all throughout the album. Martin Gilmore is a folk songwriter’s songwriter, and a serious musician with a high command of the acoustic guitar in obvious evidence. Not everyone can write tales of such depth and bring them to life so smoothly. And even as a completely stripped down production with nothing to hide behind, it’s flawless. Find more details and information here on his website: https://www.martingilmore.com/ The music is available here on BandCamp: https://martingilmore.bandcamp.com/album/thea-is-a-light-blue
Thea is a Light Blue was produced by Martin Gilmore, engineered by Aaron Youngberg, and mastered by David Glasser at Airshow Mastering. Photos on the album are courtesy of Brooks Svitak with art layout by Eli West. The album was tracked live at Swingfinger’s Studios in Fort Collins, Colorado.
All songs by Martin Gilmore (Timtomtodd Music, ASCAP) except tracks 1 & 9 (Traditional) and track 10 by Hank Williams Sr. & Jimmie Davis (Sony/Atv Acuff Rose Music)
