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| Previous Articles/Reviews:
"Thompson has a deep, soulful voice. The edge is
softened by the various roles she plays in her songs. She's a mother,
a lover, and friend and a wife...Thompson produced the album, wrote
all twelve tracks and plays guitar, keys and even the kazoo. The production
is clean, the sound is the tried and true guitar, bass, drums and keys.
What keeps it afloat is her passionate vocals. Thompson sings about
the things that matter." "Oregonian Martha Schuyler Thompson's powerful,
expressive voice grabs you first; it's a suggestive, growling cross
between Rory Block's blues mama and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's new-age
keening that seems to channel some otherworldly dimension on original
folk ballads like 'Snowfall' and 'The Leaves'...The dozen tunes betray
her musical roots in her Motown-era native Detroit and in the Black
Hills of South Dakota, where she spent her teen years. The kick-off
track, 'Mess of This Place,' could well be the sexiest song ever written
about housework -- an exuberant bit of folk R&B that will forever
change the way you look at daily chores." "Thompson's new album shows off her strong voice,
convincing growl and her down-to-Earth muse, which finds inspiration
in the prosaic as well as the exalted -- she even manages to rock out
on the subject of housework in 'Mess Of This Place'...Throughout the
album, Thompson is in fine voice. She's capable of everything from a
growl to near-falsetto excursions into the upper end of her considerable
range. She's also a solid guitarist and a songwriter capable of moods
as diverse as a countryish shuffle in 'Ain't it About Time' to the introspective,
pretty 'It's Love.' " "The Sound Must Leave Your Throat, new on Martha
Schuyler Thompson's own Cottage Industry Music label, is a collection
of intensely felt and sung lyrics accompanied by Thompson's skilled
acoustic guitar over imaginative arrangements. The twelve originals
reflect her love for blues, bluegrass, gospel and unbridled rock. Her
commitment and skill should soon bring her renown beyond her Oregon
base." "In this collection of work, the universal themes
of containment and release are explored within the context of intricate
familial relationships. These pieces describe the varying degrees with
which one experiences love, loss, intimacy, autonomy, aging, and childrearing
in an effort to help define and celebrate the contemporary American
family in all its diversity...Thompson's own arrangements and production
serve each respective piece -- and the album in it's entirety -- to
perfection. The album showcases Thompson's unique guitar picking and
vocal delivery in the sophisticated and festive manner they deserve." "The title of this album must be some kind of a
joke, because Martha Thompson's powerful, expressive voice veritably
explodes from within, alternately with passion, defiance, conviction
and lust. Her best tunes here, such as 'Mess of This Place' -- the sexiest
song ever written about housework -- successfully mine the peaks and
valleys of the domestic front for eloquent testimonies to the unspoken
heroism of daily life. It helps that the 30- something, Oregon singer-songwriter
is a deft, acoustic guitarist with keen pop sensibilities backed by
a versatile band with piano, organ and a killer rhythm section." "Thompson sings in a not-unpleasant voice accompanied
here with full-tilt production that rises and falls with her vocal skills.
Stylistically, she skirts the edges of blues on these dozen originals.
These experiential songs are clear and easy to understand. Particularly
memorable is 'The Leaves' about parenting and parenthood, using the
metaphor of an orchard and leaves. It is also one of the less-produced
songs on the CD. Thompson is an original in style and substance; you
won't mistake her for anyone else." "Martha Schuyler Thompson grew up in Detroit in
the 1960's and absorbed much of the Motown and gospel music. Then in
the 70's she moved to South Dakota where the prevailing musical mood
was more inclined to be country and bluegrass. Though she shows all
that musical heritage from time to time through her The Sound Must
Leave Your Throat, the disc is more of a folk release than anything
else - which is by no means a complaint...It is a crowded marketplace
for female singer/songwriters today, but Thompson should surely find
her niche. She has much to say and an ability to put those lyrics into
a musical landscape that is both appropriate and memorable."
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