john Arthur martinez: "Purgatory Road"
Texan Country Singer Releases New Album on New Lablel
It is strange to think that John Arthur Martinez finished above the now much more commercially successful Miranda Lambert in the inaugural season of TV talent contest, Nashville Star in 2003.
But while Lambert has followed the Nashville path to fame and fortune, Martinez has sought to make music on his own terms, music that celebrates, among other things, his Mexican roots and the rich cultural heritage of his home state of Texas.
“I’m like the menu at a Texas diner,” he states in the album's press release. “There’s chicken fried steak; there’s chili con carne-smothered enchiladas; there’s the spinach veggie omelet; there’s fresh pecan pie. It all comes out of the same kitchen, just like my folk stuff, my country songs, my Latin tunes, my ballads, my rockers.”
Purgatory Road does indeed include a variety of musical styles. It begins strongly with Utopia, a thought-provoking Americana-esque number which, according to the press release, is "a true story about a Kerrville man who battles the bottle and his childhood memories."
The rockier title track continues in this darker vein and was apparently inspired by a harrowing experience the singer's daughter had with a dodgy loan shark who went to extreme lengths to ensure payment was made.