Matt Smith – ….this is not OK
This is Matt’s 20th album, a personal & socially conscious project. The music is rootsy, soulful, & has threads of folk, jazz & rock. First listen, the vocal delicacy is similar to Garland Jeffreys. The themes of Austin’s Matt Smith explore love, loss & the current state of the US with some well-intentioned feelings, good points & in some margins, controversy.
The opener “World Is a Wheel” is well-played & arranged. The female backup is hot & savored in its rootsy ‘60s stylization. Track 2, “Cry For America,” is cohesive with Smith’s borrowing of the melody from the National Anthem. Then, adding redefined lyrics with voices resembling a semi-Ray Charles attempt, decorated with some strong Ange Kogutz vocals. Good effort with several vocalists, but it could irritate some listeners.
Matt says he tries to achieve his musical aim by processing his concerns without fracturing beliefs. The collection ….this is not OK (Dropped Jan 1/6-String Ranch Records/38:29) features 9 original songs that explore aspects of the ‘troubled period in America’ & come wrapped in a self-produced package. The set was recorded in Austin, TX & NY. The songs are effectively gutsy. The cover art — a bit apocalyptic.
A gentler approach is “Orphans” with the soft fabric voice underwhelming, but it gets the point across with a minimum of bitterness & challenge. It’s a cautious LP with good performances. There’s nothing as ambitious as Steppenwolf’s “Monster” (1969) or as heavy as Barry McGuire’s “Eve of Destruction,” but a song like “Level Ground” has its nourishing showcase made presentable. “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again” is more upbeat & relatable with bright mandolin & banjo.
The best vocal is the easy-listening piece “A Life In Love.” Smith isn’t Frank Sinatra or Paul Anka, but he navigates the tune fairly well. It has its cheesiness. Songs such as this require a Sinatra or Scott Walker vocal character to give it the timbre & lift. I can’t slight Mike Smith (vocals/electric-acoustic & lap steel guitars/mandolin/bass/banjo/synth/string arrangements) because he does his best. He’s sincere.
Better suited is the Guy Forsythe lead vocals of “Outside My Fence,” a good soulful rocker. Guitar-wise, it stabs with a Joe Walsh-type riff, & some weighty soulful backup vocals if not overly dramatic. Some songs shift into political messages that add too much salt to the soup. I don’t make it a habit of reviewing unsubstantiated opinions, but if it’s not a fact, then it’s an opinion. Listeners decide for themselves.
Highlights – “World Is a Wheel,” “Cry For America,” “Orphans,” “Level Ground,” “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again,” “A Life In Love,” & “Outside My Fence.”
Musicians – Julie Slim, Alex Ruiz, Joe Morales (vocals), Tony Perrino (organ), David Webb (piano), Philipp Moerke (electric piano), Hank Soto (B-Bender acoustic guitar), Greg Holt (fiddle), Nick Lewis & Ed Friedland (bass), Brian Mendes, Ernie Durawa (drums), Steve Candlen (drums/percussion) & Jimmy Kelley (drums/vocals).
CD @ Apple & https://6stringmatt.bandcamp.com/album/this-is-not-ok