Martha - Blisters In The Pit Of My Heart

DIY indie-punks Martha's second full-length album, Blisters in the Pit of my Heart, is finally here, and it doesn't disappoint. After such a strong debut with Courting Strong, it must be a relief for the band to have successfully overcome the second-album-hurdle.

The album opens with the energetic Christine, setting the tone with it's urgent cry of "I've been messed up in the head since I finished watching Threads",  followed by Chekhov's Hangnail, a song that manages to make the line "when it rains, well it really fucking pours" sound beautifully sincere.

It's chaotic without ever missing a beat, the spiky riffs reminding me of bands like Helen Love, Bis and Kenickie. Their trademark harmonies, with all four members singing lead on different tracks, are still one of the bands most defining features, and one of the things that made me first fall in love with them.

Storytelling is also something Martha have proven themselves to be good at, and that side of them gets a chance to shine too, especially on Goldman's Detective Agency, which sees the band re imagining 19th century anarchist Emma Goldman as a private investigator, dedicated to stopping corruption.

Ice Cream and Sunscreen is definitely a standout track; clocking in at just over two minutes, it darts across the spectrum of human emotion without ever stopping for breath, as well as providing the catchy refrain that gives the album its title.

Like everything Martha does, it leaves you desperately wanting more. I love bands who aren't ashamed to sing in their own accents, and Martha's Durham-voices combine perfectly with the sincerity of their personal-meets-political lyrics to produce a sound that is distinctly their own.

Martha + Grotbags + Doe + T-Shirt Weather - Soup Kitchen, Manchester

After narrowly missing out on seeing Martha last year (car problems), I think it's safe to say I was sufficiently excited about finally seeing them tonight.

T-Shirt Weather were the first band on, and had me hooked straight away. I hadn't had a chance to listen to them before tonight, but I'd read good things about them, and wasn't disappointed. For anyone else who hasn't yet heard them, they're a pop-punk band from Durham. And I mean, like good pop-punk.

Does anyone remember when Sky had a channel called P-Rock? I used to love that channel, and listening to T-Shirt Weather was like watching all my pop-punk faves again, but without the underlying misogynistic lyrics that I chose to blissfully ignore. I'll definitely be listening to more of these guys.

Next up was Doe, who I'm already a big fan of. Having just announced the release of their debut album in September, tonight's set list gave us a taster of what to expect (perfection, basically). If you like the sound of their track Sincere which was put online this week, then you'll love it. Their songs manage to be upbeat and danceable, with the 2-guitars-no-bass setup often lending itself to an underlying tension reminiscent of early Sleater-Kinney.

The venue didn't really start to fill-up til towards the end of Doe's set, which is a shame because they (and T-Shirt Weather) definitely deserved a bigger crowd.

Grotbags came out to a now-packed room. Describing themselves as "two big lads and two streaks of piss", they delivered a set of solid pop-punk, ending with a cover of Little Mix's Black Magic. As their name, self-description and choice of cover may suggest, Grotbags seem very much about just having some fun, and that feeling transferred well from the stage and into the crowd.

Finally, it was time for Martha. Their soon-to-be-released new album Blisters In The Pit Of My Heart has been streaming online all week, and I'd be surprised if anyone in the room hadn't been listening to it in preparation, as each new track was greeted like an old favourite, as they kicked things off with Christine and Chekhov's Hangnail.

Meanwhile, staples like 1997, Passing In The Hallway and Bubble In My Bloodstream had everyone shouting along.

The drum kit, with it's play on one of Martha's lyrics, had served as a reminder all night of how downhill things have gone in this country in the space of a week. I can't imagine many Right-leaning people feeling at home at a Martha gig, so I think it's safe to say that there was a universal sense of anxiety, anger and a need to just be around people who share your point of view.

This was reflected by the band, as JC admitted to wishing he had something positive to say about it, but not knowing what he could possibly say. For 45 minutes though, Martha managed to make the world feel like it was an okay place and reminded me why I love their music so much.

Five Songs You Should Listen To This Week

ILL - Ill Song

Having just supported Lydia Lunch last night, Ill have also released their new single this week - a Double A side consisting of Ill Song and Slithering Lizards. Ill Song sees the band taking a darkly comical view of mental health treatment and the government's current mission to destroy the NHS.

Muncie Girls - Gone With the Wind

Check out the new video from Exeter-based Muncie Girls, for their song Gone With The Wind, taken from their split 7'' with Sandlot Kids. They have an album due out next year, which gives you plenty of time to listen to this song and fall in love with them.

Martha - Six Men Getting Sick Six Times (Mendable) - Listen Here

Martha have become known for their perfect blend of indie-pop and punk but this track, taken from their split 7'' with Radiator Hospital, sees the band showing a different side to their sound. Six Men Getting Sick Six Times (Mendable)'s strength lies in its fragile acoustic chords and urgent-yet-restrained vocals.

Cat Bear Tree - Adult

Adult, the gorgeous opening track to Cat Bear Tree's just-released Settled in our Hearts EP, is complex danceable, yet-serenely-melancholy, track that sounds like a perfect mix of Warpaint and Sleater-Kinney.

Kitten Forever - Temple

Currently supporting Babes in Toyland on their US tour, Kitten Forever have a new album due out soon, on JD Samson's record label Atlas Chair. Temple is the first single from the album and is a perfect example of the bands lo-fi, hectic punk style.

Four Songs You Should Listen To This Week

Skinny Girl Diet - "Silver Spoons" - Click here to listen
This is the first single from the North London bands forthcoming Reclaiming Your Life EP (out October 16th). If you haven't yet heard Skinny Girl Diet, then "Silver Spoons" is a great place to start.

The Spook School - "Binary"

The Spook School have become known for their perfectly infectious noisy indie-pop, and this new offering doesn't disappoint. Taken from their forthcoming album Try To Be Hopeful, "Binary" sees the band questioning gender norms, culminating in a mass chorus of "I am bigger than a hexadecimal." Check out the video above, directed by Martha's Nathan Griffin.

Martha - "Chekhov's Hangnail"

Speaking of Martha, they've got a new song too! "Chekhov's Hangnail" is taken from the bands upcoming split with Radiator Hospital, who they're also touring with in October.

Doe - "This Isn't Home"

I'm particularly obsessed with this song, it immediately reminded me of Helium's The Dirt of Luck album. It wouldn't sound out-of-place in the background of a Daria episode, which should be the only reason you need to give it a listen.