Dom Martin – Buried in the Hail
11 tracks – 40 minutes
Belfast, Ireland blues guitarist Dom Martin has immediately taken the UK blues scene by storm in his short period of published works. This is his fourth album since his initial release in 2019. That first effort led to him being named the Best Solo/Acoustic act at the 2019 European Blues Awards. In 2022, he was the UK representative at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, where he was the runner-up in the finals. His 2022 album, A Savage Life, led to five nominations at the 2022 – 2023 UK Blues Awards and his selection as the Blues Instrumentalist of the Year and the Acoustic Blues Act of the Year. He was the opening act for Eric Gales during his 2022 UK tour.
Dom’s guitar work has been compared to fellow Irish guitarist Rory Gallagher and his vocals are compared to John Martyn and Van Morrison. While recognized for his work with the acoustic guitar, he is equally adept with the electric guitar. His power trio is rounded out by Ben Graham on bass and double bass and Jonny McIlroy on drums. Ten originals also prove him to be a top-notch lyricist.
The album opens with a short, quiet instrumental “Hello in There”, which just introduces the listener to his guitar work and has a calming effect as you listen to children happily laughing and playing in the background. His slide guitar and warm vocals with the pulse of McIlroy’s drums leads into “Daylight I Will Find” as he states that “It Ain’t about the money, brother I ain’t made a dime.” “Government” is another soft acoustic guitar run where he expresses his concerns for the current state of world politics without making a protest. He just notes “It’s time to call it a day / I’ll own up to it / It makes me sick to my stomach”.
“Belfast Blues” is a look back at Dom’s past life. The music rocks out as he opens with the statement “In and out of places I never should have been / shot, stabbed and burned out / I got those Belfast blues again.” Willie Nelson’s “Crazy” is the sole cover on the album. Dom said he wanted to perform the song as it was always one of his favorites. There is nothing remotely country about his version as remakes the song into an all-new creation with a vocal that brings Tom Waits to mind while maintaining the lyrical content that starts slow and spins off into an electric guitar run. He follows that with a powerful electric guitar riff that moves into “Unhinged” as he dices backstabbers “saying hello, it’s all for show” and “Playing stupid games”. “You know you’re falling hard, falling slow”.
“The Fall” moves back into a stunning acoustic sound interspersed with short silent breaks. The song deals with the way people treat each other as he begs “…take my hand before we lose it all / We’re ready for the fall.” “Howlin’ ” is Dom’s tribute to Howlin’ Wolf, written in Wolf’s style as he praises “Ain’t no one can ever be this man”. “He be howlin’ all night long.”
The title song, “Buried in the Hail” is an emotional look into Dom’s mind. Voices mix with his guitar offering an effect of turmoil as his guitar builds in intensity. “Lefty 2 Guns” is a hitman searching the streets for you. “you won’t see him coming / You won’t see his face” “If he’s got your number, you’re a dead man walking”. Dom’s guitar offers a menacing run. The album finishes as it started with a short acoustic instrumental “Laid to Rest” that plays as a denouement to his previous gangster tale.
Look closely at the album cover. This provides a strong depiction for the last three songs of the album. Then listen again to the album for there are many nuances hidden amongst the sound and the lyrics that are exposed on repeat listens. This is an album that deserves your rapt attention and not just played as background music.
