Gail Marten’s new album In Love Again . . . [reprises] a number of songs that are mostly, in Gail’s words, about “evincing the mystery of the human heart with its inexplicable range of romantic impulse, from fascination to lust to obsession. Throughout the collection, the uncertainty, the falling in and the falling out, the elation and the despair are expressed. In Love Again opens with the erotic desperation of ‘Never Let Me Go’ and (after an intoxicating ride through songs expressing both joy and despair) closes with ‘Hello, Young Lovers,’ a salute from a retired player in the game and games of romantic love.”
This is a courageous album in its self-exposure, its willingness to express emotional vulnerability. Musically the album offers a deeply pleasurable listening experience. Larry Willis, Herman Burney, and Eric Kennedy provide perfect accompaniment; Willis's piano work is particularly a joy to hear. But the album is primarily Gail’s: her voice is smooth, mellifluous, and expressive, with a smoky quality that lends poignancy to the lyrics. This album amply demonstrates why Gail, an award-winning songwriter, is so well regarded . . . Gail’s tastefulness and sophistication make [these songs] the mature expression of a heart willing to love and lose rather than never to love at all.
Liz Fixsen - Baltimore Jazz Alliance (October 2009)