Thank God We Left the Garden is the fourth studio album by American musician Jeffrey Martin, released on November 3, 2023, through Fluff and Gravy. The album is Martin's first in six years, following 2017's One Go Around. It was recorded in Portland, Oregon with producer Jon Neufeld and received acclaim from critics.
| Thank God We Left the Garden | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Jeffrey Martin | ||||
| Released | November 3, 2023 | |||
| Recorded | Late 2022 | |||
| Studio | Martin's backyard, Portland, Oregon | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 38:29 | |||
| Label | Fluff and Gravy | |||
| Producer | Jon Neufeld | |||
| Jeffrey Martin chronology | ||||
| ||||
Recording
editMartin, a former schoolteacher,[2] wrote and recorded the album in a "shack" in his backyard in Portland, Oregon in late 2022. He eventually worked on them with the help of producer Jon Neufeld and session musicians.[3]
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 88/100[4] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Mojo |   [5] |
| Paste | 8.2/10[6] |
| Uncut |  [2] |
Thank God We Left the Garden received a score of 88 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on four critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[4] Mojo called it "reminiscent of early Nathaniel Rateliff and John Moreland, and prime John Prine" and wrote that "there's no reason here to doubt Martin might one day eclipse them all".[5] Paste's Eric R. Danton called it "a stunner of a record, with songs that are stark in their simplicity, yet emotionally rich in a way that can catch your breath in your throat or leave your eyes suddenly damp".[6] Allan Jones of Uncut stated that it "so often sounds like something you might have heard for the first time in an early-'70s bedsit" and is "starker yet, 11 songs [...] occasionally embellished by co-producer Jon Neufeld's crepuscular electric guitar, but more usually unadorned", calling it "Martin's most mesmerising, brilliant album".[2] Jim Hynes of Glide Magazine felt that Martin "instills his songs with heartfelt emotion that is more apparent the more one listens" and "the less-is-more approach, despite the aforementioned lack of melodic hooks, works well due to Martin's intimate connection with these songs".[3]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lost Dog" | 2:59 |
| 2. | "Garden" | 3:02 |
| 3. | "Quiet Man" | 3:39 |
| 4. | "Red Station Wagon" | 4:14 |
| 5. | "Paper Crown" | 3:26 |
| 6. | "There Is a Treasure" | 3:47 |
| 7. | "All My Love" | 2:35 |
| 8. | "Daylight" | 3:44 |
| 9. | "I Didn't Know" | 3:55 |
| 10. | "Sculptor" | 3:29 |
| 11. | "Walking" | 3:39 |
| Total length: | 38:29 | |
References
edit- ^ Davies, Mike (October 30, 2023). "Jeffrey Martin – Thank God We Left the Garden (Album Review)". Folk Radio UK. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
- ^ a b c Jones, Allan (November 3, 2023). "Jeffrey Martin – Thank God We Left the Garden". Uncut. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
- ^ a b Hynes, Jim (October 30, 2023). "Jeffrey Martin Proves Undeniably Insightful On Striking Thank God We Left the Garden (Album Review)". Glide Magazine. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
- ^ a b "Thank God We Left the Garden by Jeffrey Martin Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
- ^ a b "Jeffrey Martin – Thank God We Left the Garden". Paste. December 2023. p. 88.
- ^ a b Danton, Eric R. (November 3, 2023). "Jeffrey Martin Finds Beauty in the Mess on Thank God We Left the Garden". Paste. Retrieved November 19, 2023.