Yorkshire singer-songwriter Billie Marten’s sixth album, ‘Dog Eared’, represents a shift from her usual style of crafting beautiful folk songs, positioning her as a mature and insightful lyricist whose poetry provides both emotional grounding and upliftment.
This record was laid down last summer at Sugar Mountain Studios in Brooklyn, a favored spot for artists such as Adrianne Lenker, Florist, and Tomberlin. Produced by Phil Weinrobe, who maintains a welcoming recording environment, the album features contributions from a circle of musician friends who recorded the tracks in live sessions without headphones, congregated closely together. Among those featured are Nuria Graham, Josh Crumbly, Shahzad Ismaily, Mike Haldeman, Sam Evian, Maia Friedman, Mauro Refosco, Vishal Nayak, and Sam Amidon.
On ‘Dog Eared’, Marten’s musings on love, childhood, and memory touch the heart gently and lovingly. With a buoyant and sunny sound, her sensitive yet powerful voice glides over guitar melodies, lush synths, and lo-fi keys, occasionally enhanced by the smooth notes of a saxophone.
The natural world has consistently informed Marten’s emotional expression, and ‘Dog Eared’ continues the introspective themes of her earlier albums, with songs such as ‘Planets’ and ‘Goodnight Moon’. These pastoral snapshots address deeper emotional matters with a lightness, drawing inspiration from delicate details, like the softness of a rabbit’s ear, as well as bolder, raw shapes—“I’m jagged like a dog tooth.”
In ‘Feeling’, Marten reflects on her youth, recalling tender memories of “hiding at the top of the stairs” before drifting to sleep in her father’s embrace. She writes about a simple, childlike capacity for love and the nurturing feelings towards a pet (“The cat sits in the shade, and I am not afraid of love”).
‘No Sudden Changes’ presents a dreamlike atmosphere, evoking images of “a dog whose chin is resting upon your windowsill.” It transitions into ‘The Glass’, where the bridge provides a calming sensation akin to enjoying a warm cup of tea—‘Lift me to the glass’, Marten dreams, lost in thought.
‘Leap Year’ reflects on a love season that has been overlooked (“Our love is like a rose, it blooms and then it goes”). The outro features solo keys serenading a slow, tender drumbeat reminiscent of the gentle pulse of a slightly aching heart. Conversely, ‘Clover’ explores the dizzying feeling of new love (“I’m pink I’m green, So black I’m blue, So left I’m right, So into you”), drawing a connection to the indie duo Flyte, possibly influenced by Flyte’s Will Taylor, Marten’s partner.
As we arrive at ‘Swing’, the album’s off-kilter and rustic finale, Marten exudes newfound confidence, delivering an upbeat, playful energy. “I’m deep inside the belly of the whale, cut me out, cut me out,” she commands over the layered sounds of folk fiddle and quirky industrial clangs.
Thoughtfully crafted and filled with quiet self-assurance, ‘Dog Eared’ feels both refreshing and cozy. Billie Marten radiates a relaxed confidence, presenting clear-eyed depictions of her personal relationships that resonate with the universal longing to give and receive love.
8/10
Words: Julia Bottoms
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Yorkshire singer-songwriter Billie Marten's sixth album, 'Dog Eared', signifies a shift from her inclination to create lovely folk tunes, positioning her as a