Home → John Martyn → Cooltide
Cooltide
Singer-Songwriter · 1991 · 6 tracks

Cooltide

John Martyn

A murky, nocturnal blend of jazz-fusion and folk. Martyn's slurred vocals drift through icy 90s synths and liquid fretless bass lines.

September 9, 1991 · Hypertension Music

Find on Amazon

Cooltide is the sound of a master songwriter moving into the shadows of the 1990s, trading his acoustic roots for a sleek, nocturnal jazz-fusion. The album feels like a long walk through a rain-slicked city at midnight, where the neon lights are blurred by a persistent fog. John Martyn's voice has aged into a magnificent, slurred instrument that prioritizes mood and rhythm over literal meaning, often sinking into the mix alongside deep, liquid fretless bass lines.

Tracklist · 6 Tracks
01
Hole in the Rain
4:39
02
Annie Says
4:59
03
Jack the Lad
6:40
04
Number Nine
3:37
05
The Cure
4:14
07
Father Time
5:35
Moments Worth Listening For
The transition on Hole in the Rain where the percussion tightens and the vocal dissolves into a rhythmic moan.
The title track opening synth swell that feels like a cold tide coming in over a dark beach.
The interplay between the sharp electric guitar stabs and the fluid bass on Annie Says.
Where This Album DepartsEach spoke is a trait. The orange shape shows where this album pulls away from — or holds to — the rest of the artist’s catalogue. Tap for more.

How does Cooltide sound next to the rest of John Martyn's catalogue?

Brooding+2.7σ

Brooding saturates this record far more than the artist's norm.

Cassette uses generative AI to enrich its catalog. How we use AI →