The Rocky Valentines — a vibey rock act fronted by Charles Martin, the son of Jason Martin of Starflyer 59 — have announced their debut album Erase coming out via Tooth & Nail Records on March 29th. It’s a treat for those who love raw alt-rock that’s devoid of special effects and studio trickery.
Charles Martin fronts the one-man band and is credited with the majority of the work on these eight tracks, however, the album is rich with collaborations from some of the industry’s leading creative talent too.
The concept of Erase evokes a young man in the throes of his salad days but is self-aware enough to be bookended by tracks about growing older — album-opener “Sing the Song” — before closing with the title track’s funeral setting. All of it melds together to reveal a young artist mastering his craft while maturing into adulthood.
The album features an assist on bass throughout from Steve Dail (Project 86, Crash Rickshaw), mixing credit to Bob Hoag (The Ataris, Fine China), mastering credit to Jason Livermore (Descendents, All, NOFX), and a recording credit for his father, Jason Martin (Starflyer 59).
The Rocky Valentines is a brilliant coming-of-age story as Charles Martin carries the rock ‘n’ roll torch for a new generation to enjoy, and Erase shows promise of a bright musical future. Are you going to check this one out?
