Marte B – PPXP Sessions

Marte B – PPXP Sessions – EP Review

Ayyy there we go!  One of my favorite new voices from way out yonder across the map has come on back to us.  Exciting!

We first learned of Marte B, aka Marte Holter Balerud, from hearing her on a song called “Space-time” from Polyphonic Exophilia’s Vol. 3 EP released back in 2021 – the same very EP that would see the PPXP collective go on to become our Best New Sound of the year.  She was a large part of the reason I ended up putting the band forward in our top ten list of nominations – I think she’s got a remarkable voice, and that particular song is still right up there with my favorite in the entire Polyphonic Exophilia catalog to-date.  So to hear that they decided to take their collaborative efforts even further, and have Marte B release her own debut EP on the PPXP label, was fantastic news to hear.  Her on the mic, them on the music…I tell ya folks, that’s about as reliable of a good time to be had as I could potentially conceive of.

And the opening track, “Burning” essentially confirmed that for me.  The music’s got that reputable personality and quality you know and love from PPXP, the vocals from Marte B were as perfect of a fit as we’d all assume that they’d be.  From what I understand, the lyrics you’ll find throughout this set of four songs all come from IK.TOMII, so credit where credit is due, I dig the uniqueness you’ll find there too.  Lines like “fill my pocket with sunflower seeds” make for the kind of double-edged sword you wanna find in music – not only does it stand out for its lyrical cleverness, but the way that Marte sings it really brings out the full potential it has as the main hook in this first track on the PPXP Session EP.  Other notable aspects would certainly expand to include elements like the bass-lines, saxophone, and keys – “Burning” has a lot of irresistible aspects of its musical DNA, and its strengths put Marte’s debut record off to a great start without question.  I had no reason to doubt that’d be the result of this collaboration of course, but it’s still nice to get the confirmation you’re hoping to hear.  “Burning” shows us audibly how well these two creative entities work together, and has an artistic spark to it that immediately had me wanting to listen to the rest to follow.  Ultimately, that’s the kind of start you wanna hear, ain’t it?

I’d argue that “Let Me (Let You)” is likely even more addictive for the majority of ya out there – I know I felt that way about it personally.  I felt like this track had Marte coming alive that much more, and really revealed how capable and confident she can be when it comes time to own the moment and make the magic happen.  A lot of that can simply come down to confidence in the material, or knowing it better when it comes time to perform…sometimes it’s merely a matter of self-confidence too – maybe Marte was feelin’ it when she stepped up the microphone to sing “Let Me (Let You)” and it brought out the best in her.  There can always be a variety of reasons that lead to the success in our art when we achieve something special or a significant milestone in life of course, but I really felt like Marte lets us in on the fun and excitement here.  While she appears calm and controlled from start to finish, there’s serious professionalism in her performance as well – she’s in charge on “Let Me (Let You)” and as a result, we get a track that feels like its colored inside of all the lines so that we get the full picture of what this collaboration can really accomplish together.  The bass-lines of PPXP are insatiable y’all…you probably won’t be able to help groovin’ to those – but further credit to the guitar in this tune as well.  As with all things that band does, there is a smorgasbord of reasons to like or love what you hear, but with the addition of Marte up front, they go quickly from being Progressive Jazz into something much more that likely has a much broader appeal to the masses out there listening.  She’s got class & style in the way that she sings, but “Let Me (Let You)” also proves she really knows her way around a chorus hook too.

Where things get more difficult to assess is a track like “Lift Your Head.”  Don’t get me wrong, if we’re talking about what I’m personally going to be fine with listening to on a fundamental level, then sure, I’m probably just as fine with “Lift Your Head” as I would be with the rest of what’s on this EP as a fan of both Marte and PPXP.  If we’re talking about what’s going to bring in the masses to listen, I think we might be having a different conversation.  “Lift Your Head” is more of an avant-garde and abstract type of tune as opposed to something with tangible accessibility that’s going to bring people back to listen again & again, you know what I mean?  We could argue about the semantics of what makes a hook all day long…if you feel like “Lift Your Head” has them, then right on – I’d be the first to tell ya that you’re the type of listener that actively looks for more inside the music they listen to.  If we’re talking about objective reality though, “Lift Your Head” either doesn’t have’em, or they’re not at the strength they would likely need to be at in order to keep the people seeking out this specific track, you feel me?  I’m not saying that this song is devoid of hooks – I don’t think I really feel that way personally – it has’em, but probably not where you’d be expecting to find them, and mainly within the music itself.  In my opinion, you’ve got tracks like “Burning” and “Let Me (Let You)” that sound like Marte is in control of the destiny in each of those tunes, whereas something like “Lift Your Head” sounds a bit more towards her doing her level best just to find a way in.  I like the way she’s singing, and I suspect I always will – I like her voice quite a lot really, and I think she’s just scratching the surface of what she’s capable of.  I feel like she’s found something that works well enough inside of “Lift Your Head,” and so the question becomes whether or not ‘good enough’ is going to be ‘good enough’ for her as an artist.  Do you want to go with a song that works, or do you want to hold off putting out that next record, album, EP, single, or whatever the case may be, until you discover something universally irresistible.  As many of you artists and bands know from your own experience, you tend to wonder what happens if that moment never comes?  In my opinion, it just takes a little faith…you’ll find that material that’s bulletproof, it’s just a matter of time…or “Space-time” in the case of this particular collaboration, but you get what I mean.  I don’t think there’s going to be anyone out there that’s been enjoying the EP to this point that’s going to feel like they’d turn off “Lift Your Head” – and obviously, that’s a good thing.  That being said, there is a massive chasm of difference between finding something you wouldn’t turn off and something you can’t help but turn UP, you see what I’m saying?  I also suspect the bass is probably up a touch too much in the case of this particular tune as well, but overall, I suppose I felt like Marte was doing the best she can with material that doesn’t quite leap from our speakers in the right way…we wanna hear inspired sound, and whether it’s because of the relaxed vibe or the hooks not being quite strong enough, something seems like it’s just slightly missing from “Lift Your Head” in comparison to the other three cuts on the EP.

I felt like the main hooks of “Because Of You” displayed stellar ideas, even if I’m not entirely convinced they’ve got the maximum potential out of’em…yet.  Marte does a decent job in singing them, but it is a bit of an intriguing part…the whole hooks of “Because Of You” and the layers of her voice as the title rolls through the chorus…it’s good, don’t get me wrong…I’m just wondering out loud in real time if there might not have been a way to get 10% to 15% more out of that moment is all.  I wouldn’t go as far as to say the layers clash, because I don’t think that’s the case…but they do seem like they could perhaps come out a bit softer or sweeter somehow too.  The idea itself, is great…no issues there.  It’s so good in fact that, I almost wonder if the verses are even necessary by comparison…it’s the hooks that are gonna be the most remembered here in this final track, and it’s where we spend the majority of the time with Marte’s vocals, which is appropriate considering how memorable that moment is in this song’s chorus.  Having said that though…I’m gonna advise my good friends in PPXP a little caution, given that this is the first record I personally know of that’s coming out on their label that’s not just Polyphonic Exophilia itself…and that advice I’ve got is to make sure you’re keeping focused on what you’re really featuring.  In this particular instance, it’s Marte’s voice, her expressive nature, what she would do as an artist – it’s not a PPXP record in that respect, you know what I mean?  A track with the kind of time-split in terms of what the dominant traits of the song are, as in, the latter HALF of this track is instrumental…I ain’t saying that’s necessarily a bad thing, but it does basically feel like it’s a PPXP track with a little bit of Marte, as opposed to the other way around – make sense?  It’s important not to lose sight of what the goals are when you’re recording another artist or band – they’re the star of the show in that instance.  So while I know that PPXP tend to get more than a little carried away and absorbed into the music they make, I’m not really saying they’ve made a bad decision here at the end of Marte’s EP, but it’s something they’re going to want to consider on a case-by-case basis.  Are they making more music to add to PPXP’s legacy, or are they creating music to help another artist on their way and assisting to help bring someone else’s dreams into reality…that kind of thing.  Maybe it’s a case of both…honestly, that could be what the goals are, and there ain’t nothing wrong with that if that’s what’s being made clear to all involved.  I happen to like what I hear on “Because Of You” personally, so again, I don’t think they’ve really made the wrong call, but it is something they’re going to want to keep in mind, because this last song ends up being most memorable for the hook, in addition to the notable absence of Marte in the final moments of her debut EP…and I’m not really sure that’s the best way to go about presenting another artist being featured on their label, you see what I’m saying?  So…again, don’t get me wrong – it sounds good…no complaints here, just things to consider for the future going forward.

All-in-all, I think Marte has done a stellar job with the material she’s got, especially when you consider the fact this is a debut and that she’s still relatively new to the scene overall.  I think that the first two tracks are likely going to be the ones that listeners probably enjoy most, but I do think the other two have their own redeeming qualities too.  Best advice I’ve got for Marte is to never settle…she’s got greatness in her, and a whole lot of potential – potential that PPXP has in fact helped her realize in audible form too – but whether it’s with their music, or her own, or someone else’s…keep focused on what makes a song, a moment in time, and music irresistible & never settle for anything less until that’s exactly what you’re hearing come back atcha through the studio speakers.  The PPXP Sessions is a solid start without a doubt, but I suspect every new step she takes forward in her future to follow will be like a giant leap in her craft, and that the sound of Marte B’s music will continue to evolve at a rapid pace from here.

Stay connected with Marte B at her official pages below!

Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/artist/4O0bY5OpKNqo6IgvGSp2MN

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/martebalerud

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