Martha Wainwright

Martha Wainwright comes from a family that some would call "musical royalty." She is the daughter of Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III, and sister of Rufus Wainwright, yet she writes and sings with a style completely her own. After several tours as opener and band-mate for Rufus Wainwright, and appearances on albums by Rufus, the McGarrigles, Gordon Gano (Violent Femmes) and Linda Thompson, Martha made her own bold statement with the release of her EP BMFA earlier this year. The EP garnered rave reviews: The London Times called it a "tour de force" while The New York Times named it "a gorgeous teaser" to her forthcoming full-length debut. The release of that self-titled debut album takes things to a whole new level. An album of contrasts, Martha Wainwright features tracks filled with raw, fiery, passionate energy alongside unforgettable, hauntingly beautiful ballads.

With her debut album appearing at the age of 28, Martha Wainwright has lived in a musical world since she was born. She posses a voice with timbres similar to her brother, Rufus, and to her mother and aunt, Kate & Anna McGarrigle. She also has a way of stretching syllables out for reasons at once musical and textual, very much like her father, Loudon Wainwright, from whom she's also inherited a bold autobiographical stance, albeit couched in her own particular poetics. A bracing confidence informs these thirteen songs, from the bright shiny pop of "G.P.T." and "The Maker" (with the unmistakable voice of Rufus on backup vocals) to the fragile balladry of "Whither Must I Wander." Martha Wainwright continues the family tradition of audacious debuts. -- David Greenberger