In the current music climate, with oversaturation driven by the abundance of social media and the influence of self-publishing on the internet, it is difficult for someone to get noticed. Legitimately argued by many to be an excellent way for unknowns to get discovered, the flip side is that it has created a situation in which even signed artists are not getting the support they need to grow. Why? Because many labels are like machines, and in their eyes, it comes down to money, not artist development.
The unfiltered truth, the talented British Singer-Songwriter Billie Marten alluded to this in a July 2025 interview discussing her latest album, Dog Eared. Marten’s first album since 2023’s Drop Cherries, Dog Eared, arrived on July 18, 2025, via Universal Music Group’s smaller imprint label Fiction Records. Her fifth overall studio album, and third with Fiction Records, it also marks a shift in her approach from her earlier work.
Originally debuting via RCA Records in 2016 with Writing of Blues and Yellows (which made it to 53 on the UK Album Charts), thereafter, 2019’s Feeding Seahorses by Hand was a sensational step forward for Marten as a songwriter. At the end of her tenure with RCA, Marten moved to Fiction Records in 2020, going on to release 2021’s Fauna and the aforementioned Drop Cherries in 2023. All of these very delightful records that showcase Marten’s soothing voice and thoughtful songwriting in a Folk Pop style, Dog Eared finds her exploring a broader sound.
In a situation where Marten welcomed more outside collaboration, she called on Philp Weinrobe as producer, recording live at his Brooklyn-based studio with a list of other musicians, including Marten’s core band and many others. Sessions that produced larger sounding songs, that feel more like a band than solely Marten, invite you in with a richly textured sound.
Featuring 10 songs, Dog Eared is very much introspective, like Marten’s prior material, but with an even more mature perspective. Transforming her childhood experiences into music, she presents songs that paint vivid, warm, delicate, and universal images for the listener. Interjecting a Country and Jazz elements into the mix, you can pick out the distinctive steel guitars, Moog synthesizers, and electric pianos, along with some use of flutes and brass instruments on numerous tracks. Matched with Marten’s beautifully soft singing voice, there is also the benefit of backing vocals that add to the atmosphere.
Overall, Dog Earred could be the most dynamic-sounding album Billie Marten has ever recorded. Flowing with ease, songs like the single “Feeling,” “Clover” (with some interesting guitar tones), “No Sudden Changes” (with a very Jazz feeling), and “Leap Year” (with more superb guitar works), really stick with you. Joined by others like “Planets” and the upbeat finale, “Swing,” the album is a compelling listen from start to finish.
An artist who has already released five albums and will not turn 27 until late May 2026, the future looks bright for Billie Marten. Candid about the struggles of making a living as a musician today, it is imperative to check out Billie Marten, who is an artist who deserves much grander mainstream exposure. That is why Cryptic Rock gives the experimental Dog Eared 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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