From the Womb of the Morning, The Dew of Your Youth Will Be Yours by Ronnie Martin
Thoughts on the 2022 Album by Ronnie Martin.
Hi Pal,
Welcome to another review where I tell you how I feel about a specific album or EP release. In today’s edition, we will check out From the Womb of the Morning, The Dew of Your Youth Will Be Yours by Ronnie Martin.
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Joy Electric was a distinct name among the plethora of bands/musical projects that rose up in Christian music in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s. While most popular alternative bands of the time leaned towards punk rock, hardcore, alternative metal and grunge; Ronnie Martin, alongside his brother Jason Martin, paved the way for modern Christian synthpop and shoegaze in respectively with Joy Electric and Starflyer 59.
Ronnie Martin has released most of his music under the Joy Electric moniker and it’s quite rare for him to drop music outside of this. Although he has a joint project with his brother called Brothers Martin which released an album of the same name back in 2007.
Still, everything about this new album from the announcement to the initial single was a pleasant surprise. Sonically, From the Womb of the Morning, The Dew of Your Youth Will Be Yours is a natural progression from the Joy Electric days, revamping many of the synth sensibilities that one has come to expect from a Ronnie Martin record.
Conceptually, all the songs on this album derive their titles from parts of the Old Testament. The first track, “Sing Among The Branches” — inspired by Psalm 104:12 — is a bright tune with warm electronic synth feels and a steady drumbeat. There is a sense of expectation and optimism that it conveys which is quite subtle yet palpable.
The title track, “From the Womb of the Morning, The Dew of Your Youth Will Be Yours” — inspired by Psalm 110:3 — is a dramatic synthwave tune with a callback to some of Martin’s story-like approach to lyrics, as he sings, ‘Through the wind, a frail voice beckons to carry us, you extend a silver hand to me, blue and forlorn, every hour is lost to years and vivid characters, and the winter in our veins proclaims a frigid pulse, will vivid tones return to your heart?…’
If the previous track is reminiscent of modern-day synthwave, “Snow Like Wool” — inspired by Psalm 147:16 — is retrowave in every sense of the word. It’s a song with shimmering synths and wonderful licks filled with ‘80s nostalgia. In “The Daughters of Song Are Brought Low” — inspired by Ecclesiastes 12:4 — Martin shows that he’s far from a one-trick pony. The song has progressive leanings, starting out mellow and building steadily to a satisfying crescendo.
“For What Vanity” — inspired by portions of the book of Ecclesiastes — kicks off the strongest part of the album. It’s a pulsating tune with an emotional undertone that gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. With lyrics, ‘…centuries past, what hope tomorrow, loss is the sphere where we bask…moments from the shimmering decline for what vanity, artifacts voluminous entwined, for what vanity, what facsimile… for what vanity, what loss, for what vanity, what gloss’, the contrast between the bleakness of these words and the upbeat nature of the song captures the message of the inspired texts. The human tendency to bask in fleeting temporal gain rather than living for the eternal is something most Christians can relate to.
The previous track was all set to be my favourite on this album until I heard “There Go the Ships, and Leviathan”. Inspired by Psalm 104:26, this song is an absolute earworm. The composition of the various sections of the tune is succinctly infectious and repetitive. These qualities encourage the listener to play the song in a loop. The song is a stroke of genius and I can’t speak highly enough of it. The album ends with, “Then Shall Your Light Break Forth Like the Dawn” — inspired by Isaiah 58:8 — the most soothing tune on the album (although, it’s still energetic in its own right). The song is a reminder of a scriptural promise and Martin presents these simple words with such gravitas and poise that by the end, it feels like the listener has experienced something truly remarkable.
If you cannot already tell by now, I absolutely adore this album. For its style and mood, the album clocks at the perfect length — a little over 30 minutes — which allows for repeated listens that are not tiresome. It’s sonically diverse and yet not overly dense, utilizing digital drum sounds and Moog synthesizers to create a rich and compelling array of sounds. More importantly, it is a concept album that highlights some beautiful texts in the Old Testament and positions the listener for moments of reflection and celebration in near-equal measure.
Genre(s): Synthpop, Synthwave
Album Link Here
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RATING: 4.8/5
That’s it for today.
See you soon!
Talk to me about your favourite songs on the album. Also, let me know any other albums or EPs you’d like me to review.