a round up of local releases

‘Razed and Reconstructed’ by Martin England
Singer-songwriter and guitarist Martin England has dug into the fertile Seacoast soil to uncover the roots of American music. With his first solo album, the Pondering Judd frontman and Rollinsford native has assembled a bold set of 10 alt-country songs.

England roped in plenty of top talent to build his sound. Guitarist Adam Terrell (Percy Hill, Assembly of Dust) lends his prodigious instrumental skills, as do pianist Jason Cohen, bassist Marc Hickox, drummer Steve Scully, mandolin player Jesse Brock, and dobro player Roger Williams. Courtney Brocks, Chris Magruder, Jesse Dold and Eric Ott pitch in backing vocals, while keyboardist Nate Wilson, pedal steel player Bruce Derr and banjo player Jeff Hawkinson make guest appearances.

England understands the value of variation and continually shifts his tone and tempo through the first half of the album. The opening track, “Do What the Man with the Gun Says,” starts out sparse and quiet but builds into a rollicking Americana number. “Weather’s Changing” is a softer folk tune with no percussion, anchored by a gentle banjo. Then comes a slow, mesmerizing ballad in “Green Pine Grove.” The fourth track, “Prisoner (In My Own Town),” returns to swaggering country-rock.  “Shadows cast against the cold, hard ground / I’m a prisoner in my own town,” England sings.

The later tracks are a bit of a letdown, settling into slow-paced monotony, but England’s lyrics and melodies remain strong. Recorded at Thundering Sky Studios in South Berwick, “Razed and Reconstructed” marks a new chapter in England’s career, rich with promising material.

England has played a string of CD release shows in recent weeks. He’ll be at Foobar in Portsmouth on Friday, Nov. 5 at 8 p.m., and has other local shows lined up through December. Visit www.martinengland.com.

‘After, Before’’ by Courtney Brocks
More than three years after recording it, local singer-songwriter Courtney Brocks has finally released her debut EP, “After, Before.” With Brocks front and center on vocals and acoustic guitar, the disc features six soft, stirring folk songs that take listeners on an emotional tour of the heart.

The album was produced and recorded in the summer of 2007 by Vermont-based musician Michael Chorney. An accomplished instrumentalist and composer, Chorney sings backup vocals and plays guitars, lap steel, baritone sax and percussion, creating a subtle but rich soundscape around Brocks’ acoustic guitar and vocals. The interweaving strings of “Arizona” are especially spellbinding.

There are faint echoes of Sarah McLaughlin here, but when Brocks puts some gusto in her vocal chords she almost sounds like a young Carole King. Most of her singing is soft and wistful, and her lyrics mainly revolve around lovesick nostalgia.

“So this is a song for all ye heartbroken / You gotta speak the words that got to be spoken / Yeah, ’cause when your love flies off, no thought, no care / You gotta do something, can’t just sit there,” Brocks sings on the opening track, “Everything Money Can Get.”

Lasting less than 24 minutes, this six-song EP’s mood rarely strays from a forlorn hush that might make you yawn after awhile. But Brocks is a talented singer-songwriter, and we look forward to a full-length album in the near future.

Brocks will play a CD release show at The Red Door in Portsmouth on Thursday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. Visit www.courtneybrocksmusic.com.

‘Call from the Moon’ by Superfrog
Many jam bands have a hard time carrying their live energy into the studio. Not so with Superfrog. The band’s new disc kicks into high gear with “Astronautical,” setting a celebratory tone that never really diminishes.

The group has spent the last few years establishing itself as one of the Seacoast’s top active jam bands. Following 2008’s “Year of the Frog,” the new album’s 12 original songs demonstrate clear growth. There are no covers to be found here; instead, we get a generous taste of what Superfrog is capable of producing on its own.

Lead singer and bassist Nate Proper wrote most of the songs on “Call from the Moon,” while vocalist and guitarist Jeremy “Fuzz” Grob contributed four tunes and guitarist Charles Cormier II wrote the title track. Proper and his guitarists have a strong rapport, as evidenced during a playful instrumental exchange on “Float.” Proper’s vocals are solid, and Anthony DiBerto’s consistent trumpet work is a nice complement. Shane Comer and Adam Vinciguerra add layers of percussion.

The influence of jam titans like moe., Phish and Dave Matthews are manifest on the album, and the jubilant guitar solos are spiced with jazz and funk elements. The group even adopts some odd time signatures on “Free Man.”

The jam band era has been dimming for some time now, and to certain listeners, this album will sound about a decade past its time. Nevertheless, there’s still a place in this world for good ol’ rock-jamtasticality, as Superfrog calls it, and that’s just what you get with “Call from the Moon.”

Visit www.superfrogmusic.com or www.myspace.com/officialsuperfrog.