All That I Am - Daniel Lee Martin

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Reviewed by Jennifer Webb

Daniel Lee Martin's All That I Am is a solid debut from an artist with talent that needs to be showcased to a wide audience because he could definitely develop an even larger fan following that what he already has. Leaving a career he had for many years and taking the chance in Nashville was, no doubt, a tough thing for him to do, but I must say that he should be glad he did because you can tell he enjoys performing and writing his songs.

With "Come Back To The Way It Was," the first line mentions the back woods of Mississippi and then you are taken there with this gospel tinged story about wanting things to be like they used to throughout various times in people's lives. You should not lose track of your faith just because it is convenient because, according to this tune, "Times change yes they do, but that don't mean that they gotta change you"

First single, "Homespun Love," written by Keith Urban and Vernon Rust, is a safe song to release to radio because it sounds familiar and is the type of melody and lyrics that listeners would enjoy. There is nothing like his honey's love and support and he says she spun a web around him that drew him in forever. He could not resist her hillbilly ways from the first time she stopped by his trailer with some chicken and homemade wine - they almost burned the house down because the sparks were flying so much.

Daniel's first song that he wrote solely on his own is "I Can't Let Go," which is a wonderful slow song not only because of the fact Daniel's voice is unique and surely will not be mistaken for anyone else's, but because the lyrics are beautifully written and performed too. Letting go and moving on is the roughest part of the breakup, especially when a part of the other person remains. He sings, "I search so hard to try and find an answer to the question why you'd leave this all behind" as he tries to make sense of his new life.

"Freedom's Finally Mine," another standout track written by Keith Urban and Vernon Rust, definitely has Keith's cool country vibe to it and Daniel really knows how to belt it out. Unable to take stress anymore, the man declares that freedom is finally his as he walks out the door and promises the back roads will be his as he leaves his troubles in the dust. Daniel shouts "It's finally mine!" at the very end of the song, rather triumphantly.

If you have a hankering for a honky tonk tune, hang on to your seat as you listen to "Lucy Kept Hangin' On" because it will put you right in the dance floor frame of mind. The song tells a story about a young couple who got married, had a kid, and had a few problems with the kid when it got older. Later on when Lucy was in poor health the boy rushed across the country to be there with his mom and when he got there finally he thought she was gone but Lucy was hanging out and did everything she could to fight to stay alive and see him as much as she could.

Even angels have their hard times, as illustrated in "Sometimes Angels Can't Fly," written solely by Keith Urban. What I find impressive about this song, other than Daniel's voice sounding perfectly suited for it, is the guitar heard throughout the melody, giving it a Keith Urban feel but not overly so in that this sounds like a carbon copy of what it would be like on a Keith Urban album.

"Purely Speculation" shows off Daniel's co-writing ability and he surely must have hit it off with Jesse Embry to come up with this classic sounding country tune about a gal that used to be sweet but turned into something mean. He keeps thinking about why she completely changed the way she did, but then he guesses that it is because she must not love him anymore since there is not anything else that could be a good enough reason. When she returns home he decides that he will put his foot down and make her come clean because he cannot keep up with the game.

With so many Keith Urban cuts, a total of four ("Homespun Love," "Freedom's Finally Mine," "Tangled Up In Love," and "Sometimes Angels Can't Fly"), the first three also being found on Keith's old group The Ranch's only album, I am impressed that Daniel put his own style and applied it toward those songs instead of singing it how he thought Keith would. Daniel's songs, co-written or written by himself, showcase an emerging talent that could have a career whether he chose to sing, write, or both.

Song List:

1. Come Back To The Way It Was
2. Homespun Love
3. I Can't Let Go
4. All That I Am
5. Freedom's Finally Mine
6. Tangled Up In Love
7. If I Was An Angel
8. The Closest Thing
9. Lucy Kept Hangin' On
10. Until You
11. Sometimes Angels Can't Fly
12. Purely Speculation
13. A Guitar With No Strings