For this second album, the Californian singer certainly signs the repertoire that most closely resembles him. Ryan Martin is part of the West Coast youth that grew up listening to the solar and poetic sounds of 1970s American music. It would have made sense for him to pursue this atmosphere and lose himself in a sort of mainstream pop country, but thankfully he didn’t. In 2005, after a car accident, Martin divided his time between jail and medical treatments. The Californian sun became slightly overshadowed by the memories, the addictions and the angst, but he decided to focus on his music, which turned out to be a good decision. That’s how Gimme Some Light was recorded at the Art Farm in New York. With a voice in the mould of Rick Danko’s, Martin opens up on rather dark themes like doubt, sorrow and addiction, but fights against the darkness with joyful, hopeful and lyric melodies. Right from the first track, All the Good Men, it is obvious he has come a long way and hasn’t forgotten about his past yet, but fortunately has found something to live for. A modern country folk that relies on steel guitar but also on vocalizations that lose themselves in echoes, the result meshing to give birth to a radiant song. But in this dark Americana, humour remains a priority, as shown by the songs’ titles: Dangerously Unplugged, Suicide Parade, or even Lepers in Armor, which showcase the man’s dark sense of humour. In the footsteps of Springsteen, Neil Young and Gillian Welch, Gimme Some Light is a journey worth undertaking for those aiming to revitalise themselves. © Clara Bismuth/Qobuz