It's unsurprising that If the Jasmine Don't Get You the Bay Breeze Will, with its six extended folk-rock compositions, bears a strong resemblance to the late-'60s Capitol recordings by Neil himself, as Neil and Martin shared Nik Venet as a producer. The Neil parallels are even less unexpected given that Martin had sung with Neil as a duo in the mid-'60s (they recorded one LP for Elektra). The easygoing but emotional feel of the material and delivery is of a general piece with Neil's, but more laid-back and countrified. The loose, jazzy folk-rock feel of "Yonder Comes the Sun" bears some resemblance to late-'60s Tim Buckley as well. Martin's pleasant, high voice lacks the emotional depth of Neil's, but this remains a pleasant, if low-key, period folk-rock record. The Fred Neil similarity becomes especially prevalent on the concluding "Jasmine," a long, flowing folk-rock jam with hints of raga, much in the manner of some of the lengthier cuts on Neil's pair of Capitol studio albums. ~ Richie Unterberger

This set is good, but not as stunning as we might expect after a six-year hiatus in which to work up material. ~ Steve Winick