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“The places where Wandercease ends up occasionally even
bring to mind Pet Sounds. There can be no greater praise.”
Hudson Valley NY-based singer-songwriter Ryan Martin latest album, Wandercease (High Moon Records) is his most emotionally dynamic and sonically adventurous album to date, blending his natural melodic instincts with giant musical hooks and a polychromatic sonic palette. Wandercease ranges from deep introspection to radiant joy with confidence and curiosity, creating an expansive sense of mood and space. The album was born from change: Martin’s relocation northwards from New York City to the more tranquil vistas of the Hudson Valley. At his Old Soul Studios in Catskill, NY, producer Kenny Siegal (Langhorne Slim, Joseph Arthur), went deep into the songs; finding their essential seeds and drawing on his abundant network of local musicians—first call players for artists such as David Byrne, Waxahatchee, Kevin Morby, and Lana Del Rey—to help grow the songs into the beautifully vibrant versions on record. One key musical presence is singer-songwriter and classically-trained harpist Mikaela Davis. Brought in to sing harmony vocals on a couple songs, Davis ended up singing and playing harp on most of the album. While not typically heard in pop music as more than a texture, Davis’ ethereal harp playing and stunning vocal contributions are perfectly situated on Wandercease, elevating its intriguing blend of homespun Americana, processed rhythms and warm electronic touches.
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"You either have to have truly outstanding material or
fill your songs with surprising details. Hudson Valley singer-songwriter Ryan Martin is a rare double threat." —Paste
The album’s first single, “Coma Kiss”, has an earworm-worthy vocal hook and an irresistibly buoyant groove right out of the gate. Under the charm lay darker sentiments about a failed relationship — but that lovely dissonance between song’s feel and the story Martin tells is part of the magic.
Originally from Los Gatos, California, Martin started writing songs when he was 14 and was soon touring up and down the West Coast as a solo artist, and with a band. After escaping to New York City, assembling a band of misfit all-stars and growing a devout audience, Martin released his debut album For All the Beautiful Losers. Extensive touring followed and, after becoming a first-time father, Martin recorded Gimme Some Light, which was released in 2018 on High Moon Records. The gorgeous ‘paint-on-glass’ video for “Real Human Being” is currently a featured selection at animation festivals all over the world.
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“Perfection is damn near impossible to come by and
it almost never happens. Yet somehow, someway, Ryan Martin
hit that rare pocket in time and captured perfection.”
—American Songwriter