''Thank God We Left the Garden'' is the fourth studio album by American musician Jeffrey Martin, released on November 3, 2023, through Fluff and Gravy. The album is Martin's first in six years, following 2017's ''One Go Around''. It was recorded in
Portland, Oregon with producer
Jon Neufeld and received acclaim from critics.
Recording
Martin, a former schoolteacher,
wrote and recorded the album in a "shack" in his backyard in
Portland, Oregon in late 2022. He eventually worked on them with the help of producer
Jon Neufeld and session musicians.
Critical reception
''Thank God We Left the Garden'' received a score of 88 out of 100 on review aggregator
Metacritic based on four critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".
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Mojo
Mojo may refer to:
*Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo
Arts, entertainment and media Film and television
* MOJO HD, an American television network
* ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film
* '' ...
'' called it "reminiscent of early
Nathaniel Rateliff and
John Moreland
John Robert Moreland (born June 22, 1985) is an American singer-songwriter from Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Early life
Moreland was born in Longview, Texas, the son of Robert Lloyd Moreland, an engineer, and Connie May Moreland (née Brandon), a school ...
, and prime
John Prine" and wrote that "there's no reason here to doubt Martin might one day eclipse them all".
''
Paste''s Eric R. Danton called it "a stunner of a record, with songs that are stark in their simplicity, yet emotionally rich in a way that can catch your breath in your throat or leave your eyes suddenly damp".
Allan Jones of ''
Uncut
Uncut may refer to:
* ''Uncut'' (film), a 1997 Canadian docudrama film by John Greyson about censorship
* ''Uncut'' (magazine), a monthly British magazine with a focus on music, which began publishing in May 1997
* '' BET: Uncut'', a Black Enter ...
'' stated that it "so often sounds like something you might have heard for the first time in an early-'70s bedsit" and is "starker yet, 11 songs
..occasionally embellished by co-producer Jon Neufeld's crepuscular electric guitar, but more usually unadorned", calling it "Martin's most mesmerising, brilliant album".
Jim Hynes of ''Glide Magazine'' felt that Martin "instills his songs with heartfelt emotion that is more apparent the more one listens" and "the less-is-more approach, despite the aforementioned lack of melodic hooks, works well due to Martin's intimate connection with these songs".
Track listing
References
{{Authority control
2023 albums
Albums produced by Jon Neufeld
Jeffrey Martin (singer) albums