Reviewer: Kyle Roczniak
Released: 21st February 2025
Label: AMK
After his debut album in 2023, ‘damn, look at the view,’ and his involvement with the indie pop collective FIZZ (which features Orla Gartland, dodie, and Greta Isaac), ‘man oh man!’ sees Martin Luke Brown take a moment to pause and discover tranquility in the ordinary aspects of life. The Leicester-born, London-based artist describes the album as a ‘time capsule’, with each track written and recorded in a single day, offering an open glimpse into his daily experiences and moments, embracing a deliberately disordered approach from the outset. The single ‘hello!’ exhibits Mac DeMarco-esque psych pop while pondering self-awareness. The frenetic pace of urban life is mirrored in the song ‘animal,’ and ‘chew u up’ intertwines jazz influences with rich vocal harmonies to convey themes of romantic yearning and heartbreaking loss. The latter section of the album adopts a more somber mood, with lyrics resembling Martin’s personal diary: ‘losing me’ features piano-driven melodies reminiscent of a collaborative effort between Vashti Bunyan and Declan McKenna, whereas ‘this love’s gonna go nowhere’ employs subtle vocal layers and gentle percussion to craft a poignant love letter. Crafted solely with analogue equipment alongside longtime friend and producer Matt Zara, the relatively straightforward arrangements culminate in a timeless record that highlights Martin’s talent for creating intimacy.
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