Martin Tielli

As with every Rheostatics release Martin Tielli has lent his genius to, it really comes as no surprise that his first solo album brims with the same kind of bent greatness we've come to know and love. Poppy Salesman is a mostly acoustic affair, so don't expect any of Martin's ferocious electric playing, but in the absence of electricity the 11 tracks offered throw the spotlight directly on Tielli's equally magnificent, haunting vocal abilities. Songs like the ethereal, show-stopping "Voices From The Wilderness" and "How Can You Sleep (With The Light On In Your Head)?" grab you by the heart and take you on a musical journey that only Tielli could've ever drawn the itinerary for. If this release doesn't make the country's ears perk up and give credit to one of our generation's most gifted Canadian songwriters then, sadly, nothing will. Martin has a knack for writing beautiful songs and then warping them slightly into something that may not be pop in the traditional sell-a-million-copies-for-the-man sense, but into something that seems otherworldly. Lyrically, Tielli paints aural pictures from the heart and delivers them in his trademark plaintiff vocal style < a style tough for anyone else to emulate. It's when his words are accompanied by delicate finger-picked acoustic lines like on the track "From The Reel" that you'd best have a box of tissues nearby to dry your eyes. Absolutely stunning and heartfelt songs performed in a way that makes them totally believable. And believability is a big selling point. I kinda always had the feeling he was the poppy salesman. Tim Melton (www.chartattack.com)