Label: 4AD
Released: 7th April 2023
When you have released three extraordinary records back-to-back, people suddenly start to think you’re infallible. In other words: the pressure is on to deliver, or else. Billie Marten must have felt those kinds of pressures quite clearly when penning fourth album ‘Drop Cherries’, but instead of letting it bring her down, it has shaped a new kind of resolve to rise above expectations and walk to the beat of her own drum.
Billie Marten opens her fourth album with an intimate instrumental that sets the tone for what’s to come. Her vocals effortlessly flow through second track ‘God Above’ and captivate every ounce of attention. Despite its name, the track isn’t reaching for high-heaven; it feels earthy and grounded – finding the divine in the simple things. A theme that seems to stretch through the entirety of ‘Drop Cherries’.
To a soundtrack of smouldering percussions and free-roaming melodies, Billie tells stories of love and longing, of forgiveness and the give-and-take that is the unspoken foundation of every relationship. Each song uncovers a different aspect of what it means to love and be loved, but what it all comes down to is showing up: “dropping cherries”. The album’s heartfelt title track builds a soothing resolution to this vibrant record, and sees Billie Marten emerge victorious from the depth of songwriterdom.
With four impressive records under her belt, Billie Marten doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel – or herself, for that matter. She re-examines, re-visits, and in the process, creates something new: a style of music that evolves because she evolves; that grows because she grows; and yet manages to keep its wondrous essence, the pure joy of making music.
