The recipient of numerous awards, Canadian R&B / Blues artist Matt Anderson is an old-fashioned artist who has built up an impressive following the hard way – by reaching out to each and every one of his fans on lengthy tours. An artist who has shared a stage with the likes of Buddy Guy, Greg Allman, the Tedeschi Trucks band and many more, Matt is a respected figure in the blues community and ‘Honest man’, Matt’s seventh album (not including live releases), arrives amidst a fair degree of anticipation. Recorded in New York with Commissioner Gordon (Joss Stone, Amy Winehouse etc.), who brought along his bag of electronic tricks, the way the album juxtaposes processed beats and Matt’s raw, organic blues recalls Eric Clapton’s ‘Pilgrim’, an album that received a decidedly mixed critical response and yet proved to be a wider success with fans more open to change. The use of beats remains a rarity in blues, and yet here they are arranged well and the result is a collection of songs that explore a variety of styles around Commissioner Gordon’s carefully arranged backings.
Opening with ‘Break away’, a song with a loose R&B vibe and a whimsical feel thanks to Lenny Underwood’s deft organ work. Opening the album with such a light touch helps to ease the listener into the record and the airy vibe continues on the gently melancholic ‘the gift’ which sees Matt exercise his vocal range, demonstrating that rich, soulful tone that has earned him so many fans over the years. An early album highlight, the title track has a taut beat underpinning a wired, bluesy riff that digs into the electrifying, subtly tongue-in-cheek approach of the Blues Brothers and it’s hard to imagine anyone listening to this fine song without a smile on their face. In contrast, ‘I’m giving in’ is a much more personal song that details the internal thought process that leads to a committed relationship. A beautiful and heartfelt piano-led ballad, it works all the better for emerging free from beats and studio trickery, and it has a rich vein of emotion running through it that damn near breaks the heart. Fortunately, Matt follows it up with the country-fied ‘Quiet company’ which provides a moment of sweet contemplation that brings the first half of the record to a sweet close.
The second half of the album kicks off with ‘Let’s get back’ a song that considers the social changes of the last few years and not in a terribly favourable light. With a funky beat and a soulful feel, ‘Let’s get back’ is both touchingly nostalgic and musically joyful and it’s another highlight for the record. The corollary to ‘I’m giving in’, ‘All the way’ sees Matt taking the relationship detailed in that previous song to the next level and there’s a warmer feel as if, now the decision has been made, the raging emotion that led to it has been calmed. A lovely, soulful blues in the vein of Smokey Robinson, ‘Last surrender’ is a track that will never grow old whilst the politically charged ‘who are you listening to?’ asks a pertinent question in an age where deceit is relabelled as an ‘alternative fact’ and accepted by a public unsure of where to turn. ‘The album spins to a halt with ‘one good song’, a somewhat self-deprecatory title considering the nine excellent songs that preceded it. Touching and emotional, it trades the acid-tinged riffs of ‘who are you listening to?’ for emotional resonance and a touch of flute, gently drawing down the blinds and bidding the listener a quiet farewell.
‘Honest man’ is a sonic treat. Where digital beats, if applied badly, can lead to a stilted, regimented performance, here the band appear free and relaxed, exploring the spaces between with ease to the point that it’s easy to forget that the band are playing to a backing track at all. Matt’s performance is, unsurprisingly, exemplary and Commissioner Gordon has applied a polish to the album that offers depth and detail without draining away its soul. A varied and rewarding album, Matt’s UK tour, scheduled for May and April 2017, cannot come soon enough. 9
Matt Anderson UK Tour 2017:
MATT ANDERSEN
MAY 2017 UK TOUR
BOOK TICKETS FROM: MATTANDERSEN.CA
The Grand Social, Dublin
Thursday 18th May 2017
Tickets – Ticketmaster.ie
Venue Email – john@thegrandsocial.ie
Facebook / Twitter
35 Liffey Street Lower, North City, Dublin 1, Ireland
www.thegrandsocial.ie
Fochabers Institute
Fochabers Village, Scotland
Friday 19th May 2017
15 High St, Fochabers, Inverness, IV32 7EP
Box Office – 01343 821 325
www.morayvillagehalls.org.uk
Tooth & Claw, Inverness
Saturday 20th May 2017
Tickets – Ticketmaster.co.uk
Tel: 01463 243 000
50 Baron Taylor’s St, Inverness IV1 1QG
https://toothandclawpractise.youcanbook.me
The Tunnels, Aberdeen
Sunday 21st May 2017
Tickets – Ticketmaster.co.uk
Box Office – 01224 641 122
Facebook
Carnegies Brae, Aberdeen, AB10 1BF
www.aberdeenperformingarts.com
Mash House, Edinburgh
Monday 22nd May 2017
Tickets – Ticketmaster.co.uk
Venue Tel – 0131 220 2514
Facebook / Twitter
37 Guthrie Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JG
http://themashhouse.co.uk
Night & Day, Manchester
Wednesday 24th May 2017
Tickets – alttickets.com
Venue Tel – 0161 236 1822
26 Oldham St, Manchester, M1 1JN
Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
www.nightnday.org
The Borderline, London
Thursday 25th May 2017
Tickets – alttickets.com
Venue Box Office – 0203 871 7777
Facebook / Twitter
Orange Yard, Off Manette Street
London, W1D 4JB
http://theborderlinelondon.com
