Singles Spotlight:
Marty Blick –
“Punch The Clock (And Work The Line)”

Hello reader,

How are you today? It’s another exciting week at SWT with great content for you to explore, from essays to spotlights to a review or two.

I’m excited to discuss Marty Blick, the stage name of the solo project of Martin Brableck, a songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist currently based in St Louis, though he’s soon to be moving to LA. Before spending time in St Louis, Brableck called Chicago home. There, he was best known for playing in multiple bands, including neo-psych pop band Daydream Review.

Recently, I was fortunate enough to hear his upcoming debut full-length album under this project, entitled Neighborhood Cat, which will be released on Friday, May 15th. This release was inspired by a harrowing experience, though not uncommon in the inclement weather atmosphere of the Midwestern US. As the press release for the album, “On a May afternoon (2025), an F3 tornado directly struck Blick during his afternoon commute, spinning his truck, and dropping a large tree limb across the cab. Blick’s little brush with death was all the impetus he needed to start putting pen to paper and his mouth to the microphone.”

As one might imagine, that life-altering experience led to reflection and the crafting of some memorable music. Blick says, “Neighborhood Cat consists of eight songs that are about eight different things, including growing old, losing your youth to meaningless jobs, alley cats, alienation from fellow man and nature, funeral wishes, sleeping in jeans, talking to the devil while dying from an opioid overdose in the woods, et cetera. I wrote several more songs about several more things, but these are the first eight that came together satisfactorily. Like you, I am living in the end times, but I am alive, and I am living the mundane, unimportant life that I always wanted to live. For the first time ever, I am in love with the world around me.”

After listening a few times, I can share that the result of Blick’s songwriting and craftsmanship is an album that is very much a product of Midwest living and reflection in the best ways. In ways that encapsulate it for many to share and relate with, and for others to better understand their out-of-state/region neighbors, as some of the tropes and small-town life experiences he shares are specific to the Midwestern US. If it’s not you, it’s definitely someone you know vibes. Other moments within the album feature even more widely shared, universal experiences of the human condition.

In some ways, I see one song in particular as a modern-day anthem for workers. That song is “Punch The Clock (And Work The Line)” because of its quality songwriting, which sets a stage that millions of Americans can relate to. Unless you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth. But even then, you have to know or come across others who weren’t right? The song is layered beautifully, with an Americana-based melody that pairs wonderfully with Blick’s matter-of-fact vocal delivery, whose lyrics set the story as the protagonist, a blue-collar worker, practices repetitive habits while also examining their own mortality. The song doesn’t judge the character in a negative light; rather, as the character questions their situation and surroundings, as listeners, we’re treated to the crafted imagery we envision. Especially if one is in a similar existence to those in the song. Forever, humanely, the imagery the song creates while listening leaves many listeners in serious reflection, questioning their own life choices. While one can debate the merits of lifestyle choices and what is subjectively or objectively good or not, that is not Blick’s sole aim within the lyrics. This song could become a folk anthem for many. Hopefully, more so a call to arms, in my opinion. I hope for the sake of their rights that the fictitious worker is unionized, but Blick leaves that nuanced detail open to interpretation to focus on other aspects of one’s existence. All that being said, I think this song is a damn good one, worthy of being part of our Singles Spotlight series and also serving as many people’s introduction to Marty Blick’s talents.

But don’t just take my word for it, take a listen for yourself below. And let us know what you think.

The cover art for Neighborhood Cat:

The track list for Neighborhood Cat:

1. Apollo [3:02]
2. Punch The Clock (And Work The Line) [3:42]
3. Neighborhood Cat [3:20]
4. On The Breakwater [3:13]
5. Throw My Body In The Trash [3:03]
6. Blue Jeans On [3:28]
7. Walking On Clouds [4:09]
8. Farwell House [2:58]

Total run time: 26:55

Alex M Theel

Co-Founder, Reviewer, Content Creator, Business side, Editor at Scummy Water Tower Productions | Web

Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site, scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions and SWT Interviews. And all of our socials.
Questions, feedback, or more? Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com