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While Popdose recently reviewed the new, long-overdue release from Blue Orchids, the band led and fronted by guitarist/frontman Martin Bramah (original guitarist of The Fall), we also take great pleasure in presenting and premiering for you in full, Mr. Bramah’s newly-reissued solo album, The Battle Of Twisted Heel.  Originally released as a mail-order only item very briefly in 2008, this compiles the tracks from that CD plus a few items from an equally cult-based release from Blue Orchids, 2005’s Slum-Cavern-Jest!, giving this an 11-track fullness.

While one might expect an upbeat, slightly angular pop sound as has been his trademark, you’ll find a very different affair here.  Acoustic based; a much more tradtional/folk feel and subdued – this is a low-voltage performance but highly powerful and seemingly personal.  Case and point, the emotions cast in “Stone Tumbling Stream”, with its flute figures for really coloring in the feel, is a standout track.  “The Fall Of Great Britain” (which, I admit is a very clever play on certain bands’ names…) is neo-Celtic and very Pogues-like.  “Lucybel” is as “pop” as you can get, but it’s a sweet and warm piece and “Green Rocky Road” (the only non Bramah composition) is pastoral, crisply strummed and another very high point to this album.

Definitely an album not be overlooked or missed – this reissue of Martin Bramah’s The Battle Of Twisted Heel needs to be heard and embraced.  So sit back, listen and enjoy as you can hear the album through the link below…

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The Battle Of Twisted Heel is available now

https://www.facebook.com/martin.bramah

https://soundcloud.com/ratherthanrepeat/sets/martin-bramah-the-battle-of-twisted-heel-lp-cd-tiny-global-pici-0003/s-X4eIG

About the Author

Rob Ross

Rob Ross has been, for good, bad or indifferent, involved in the music industry for over 30 years - first as guitarist/singer/songwriter with The Punch Line, then as freelance journalist, producer and manager to working for independent and major record labels. He resides in Staten Island, New York with his wife and cats; he works out a lot, reads voraciously, loves Big Star and his orange Gretsch. Doesn't that make him neat?

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