Dom Martin is one of the most electrifying performers in Blues and rock today. His three albums to date are intense and absorbing combinations of electric and acoustic Blues and he imbues this hoary old form with something special. Not for nothing has he already been inducted into the UK Blues Hall Of Fame for three successive awards as Acoustic Blues Player of the year (2021,22,23) as voted for by the listening public – as well as awards in Europe and a couple of Instrumentalist of the Year for his electric guitar playing.
‘Buried Alive’ virtually acts as a ‘Best Of So Far’ as his tours this year have included material from all three of his albums, and played to sell out crowds across Europe and the UK.
For a number of reasons, I was not able to see Dom on his 3-piece band tour this year and I was delighted to find that this was coming out – an early Xmas present. Now I know what I was missing out on. This album is simply magnificent.
It is a combination of acoustic (solo) numbers and electric numbers with his 3-piece band, and they are equally exciting, albeit very different.
He is a superb slide guitarist, and the album presents two different versions of ‘Daylight I Will Find’. The first shows off his electric slide and resonator picking, the second acoustic and featuring Demi Marriner (currently part of Elles Bailey’s band). Both are excellent and different enough to warrant inclusion. ‘Belfast Blues’ is also present in two versions – on its own as an electric number and together with ‘Easy Way Out’ on acoustic.
In many respects, the acoustic tracks are the most interesting. Two long numbers are included – ‘Easy Way Out, Belfast Blues’ & ‘Hell For You, Mercy’, and the sheer intensity of them is exhilarating. His dark, Belfast accented vocals are brilliantly displayed against an acoustic guitar, and his guitar playing is simply wonderful.
The electric tracks are also superb, but there is more of the sound of two of his heroes – Rory Gallagher & John Martyn – to be heard. His electric guitar playing all through is a brilliant example of how electric Blues should be played.
I don’t expect an album released this late in the year to be one of my top ten picks of the year but this is a shoo-in. Absolutely brilliant and should be in any discerning collection.
