Martha - Ice Cream and Sunscreen

  One of the undoubted highlights of the summer of 2016 is the new album, Blisters In The Pit Of My Heart (out now on Fortuna Pop and Dirtnap Records), from Durham indie pop punkers Martha. Is it even better than much loved debut album Counting Strong? Well if you wanted to argue that it is, I wouldn't put up much of a rebuttal. Either way they're 2 for 2 and will definitely be in the running when it's time to draw up those best of the year lists.

  Featuring Nathan Stephens Griffin, Jonathan Cairns, Daniel Ellis and Naomi Griffin (who is also a member of the equally wonderful No Ditching), Martha prove that pop punk doesn't have to be vapid and cliched, it can be uplifting, intelligent and (insert your own superlatives here).

  The new album is a more mature effort than the debut but certainly no less fun. There's 11 catchy gems dealing with not only their own experiences but name checking some of the people who've inspired them (anarchist Emma Goldman, Replacements singer Paul Westerberg and even Coronation Street's Curly & Raquel....). You can check it out here : https://marthadiy.bandcamp.com/album/blisters-in-the-pit-of-my-heart

  It's not easy to pick a favourite so on the next Just Some Punk Songs show I'll play a different song to what you'll find below (the next show is Tuesday 9th Aug at 8pm UK time : http://mixlr.com/mick-fletcher/). As far as the blog goes, this is Ice Cream And Sunscreen and it's delightful.....


The autumn forecast’s looking dismal again, 
This year I’ll spend November in the house, 
August sort of stifled your potential didn’t it? 
It’s coyness boy that caught you out, 

I know you wish for fireworks to light your July sky, 
I was the dampest box of matches you could ever hope to find, 

I’m sorry what? I hear you yeah, 
I was watching the skin peeling of your sunburnt shoulders, I know, 
I know you only melt in the middle like ice cream and sunscreen, 
Blisters in the pit of my heart, blisters in the pit of my heart, 

Our birthdays came and went unnoticed again, 
You said you knew my star sign from the start, 
That late September sunshine leaves me pining for June, 
December boy you got it wrong.