There are songs that seem to arrive with their shoelaces tied neatly together, marching from verse to chorus and back again with a reassuring sense of direction. Then there are songs like Brooks John Martin’s “Do”, which appears to have taken a wrong turning somewhere, discovered something rather interesting down the road and decided to stay there for a while. It is a strange, funny, surprisingly joyful little universe, built from shifting moods, surreal associations and the kind of logic that makes perfect sense when you stop trying to make sense of it.

‘Do’ is the first single and video from Martin’s forthcoming album War All The Time, and it finds the Florida artist exploring the emotional territory between breakdowns, breakthroughs and all the peculiar places in between. Martin describes the song as “non-linear Lewis Carroll nonsense”, which is probably a more useful description than anything involving the phrase ‘traditional songwriting structure’. There is a stream-of-consciousness quality to the way the track moves, with ideas and feelings appearing, disappearing and colliding rather than lining up obediently to tell us a story.

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That suits the subject matter. Martin describes ‘Do’ as arguably the happiest song he could write at the top of a manic arc, and there is something fascinating about that contradiction. The music carries an upbeat energy, but underneath the brightness is the sense of a mind moving at considerable speed, making connections that may be baffling from the outside but feel completely logical from within.

Vocally, Martin brings that dreamy baritone that has become one of the more distinctive elements of his work. There is a romanticism to it, recalling the grander vocal traditions of post-punk, new wave and Brit-pop, although Martin tends to place that voice against much rougher musical surroundings. The contrast gives the song its character. His voice sounds as though it belongs somewhere considerably more elegant, while the guitars and arrangements keep dragging it back into the wonderfully untidy real world.

And then there is the video, which takes the whole idea and gives it a visual equivalent.

Created entirely using AI, it places Martin inside a stylised version of 1960s Japan, where reality, imagination and visual absurdity happily blur into one another. It is an appropriately peculiar setting for a song that refuses to travel in a straight line.

At Martin’s request, the video eventually gives way to an extended sequence of his likeness dancing like Tom Jones, which is the sort of artistic decision that either makes you question everything or makes you realise that somebody involved understands the fundamental importance of having a laugh.

That final flourish is actually central to what makes ‘Do’ work. There is honesty, but it comes without the solemnity that often accompanies songs dealing with difficult emotional territory. Martin is willing to let the ridiculous sit alongside the profound, to acknowledge that the mind can be frightening, exhilarating, hilarious and confusing, sometimes within the space of a few minutes.

With War All The Time on the horizon, ‘Do’ feels like an intriguing introduction to where Brooks John Martin is heading. It is unpredictable, melodic, emotionally candid and just eccentric enough to keep you wondering what on earth is going to happen next. And if the answer eventually involves Tom Jones dancing through 1960s Japan, frankly, I’m quite happy to follow.

About Brooks John Martin

Brooks J Martin is a Cedar Falls, Iowa-based singer-songwriter.

With a career spanning multiple monikers including Toast, The Blue Danes, and Frank Hansen, Martin has now fully embraced his own name. This markes a new era of raw, unfiltered artistry.

His latest self-titled album is his most personal work yet, bringing together lush arrangements, introspective themes and an expressive vocal style reminiscent of Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, and The National.

Keep up to date with Brooks John Martin on his Website