The Possibility of Being
As frontman of his first band Candlebox, Kevin Martin sold over 5 million records. The group catapulted him to the top of the modern-rock ranks spawning the mega-hits "Far Behind" and "You". Headlining arena tours and the critically acclaimed albums, 1995's Lucy and 1998's Happy Pills followed. Now, Martin has stepped into a new realm by recording his first solo album "The Possibility of Being.""The Possibility Of Being" is a solo album...and it isn't. Martin had several songwriting collaborators: Hole guitarist Eric Erlandson, onetime Rob Rule guitarist/Candlebox touring guitarist Robbie Allen, Colin Duchin, Bottlefly's Colin Lizzard, Mark Arnell and Danny Martin. The album resonates with that distinct band-y feel. But the project is very much Martin's: He co-wrote and arranged all 11 tracks. In fact, he co-produced them, along with Candlebox producer Kelly Gray. Martin says, "I told Kelly, "These are the songs I have. This is the direction I'm going. These are the melodies I want. This is how big I want it to sound, because this is how I feel right now, full of angst, aggression, emotion, and compassion."The "Possibility Of Being" is pure, uncut rock 'n' roll in the truest sense of the term. But it's a textured collection, and Martin makes clear that each song is attacked and caressed in a different way, so the lyrics and the voice are what really cohere the album. "Lyrics and melody have always been important to me," says Martin. "That's one of the best ways I communicate."Consider the lyric, "If I could decide on what I've decided/If I could confide in whom I've confided/If I could believe in all I believe in/We deny it all/There's no trust inside," from the album's first single, "If We Could." "The song moves like a wave. It surges in, crashes, and then pulls back," Martin says. "The song is about readjusted beliefs. It deals with humanity, being humane to one another. Asking yourself, "What am I doing here? What is life all about for me?"Martin spent the better part of two years writing the songs that would become "The Possibility of Being." The album comes complete with instant young lover's evergreens like "Walk Away" and "The Lovers" and rock anthems such as "Telepathic Rock & Roll," which pays homage to many of Martin's heroes; "Enemy," a cut that opens with Peter Fonda saying "What we need is a real uprising" into a melee of judgmental ridicule; and "Identify" which recalls Martin's punk-rock roots.