Martin Zellar

Shifting out of the Gear Daddies (but hanging onto the quartet’s bassist), Minnesota singer/guitarist Martin Zellar went solo on Born Under, heading further down the simple backroad paths of rustic country and heartland rock, sometimes mixing styles in a single song. A sensitive, observant songwriter devoted to personal issues no greater than “East Side Boys,” Zellar has a grit-strewn voice with a mannered catch better suited to the harsh honesty of his lyrics than the placid curves of his melodies. Guitarist Dan Murphy of Soul Asylum guests on “Lie to Me,” Adam and Noah Levy of the Honeydogs are all over the record.