MATT WOODS
''WITH LOVE FROM BRUSHY MOUNTAIN''
MAY 13 2014
48:59
1. Ain't No Living 2:57
2. West Texas Wind 3:46
3. Snack Bar Mary and the Ten Pin Priest 3:44
4. Tiny Anchors 4:51
5. Drinking To Forget 3:41
6. Deadman's Blues 4:43
7. With Love From Brushy Mountain 5:10
8. Real Hard Times 2:57
9. Lying On The Floor 4:34
10.Lucero Song 3:16
11.Liberty Bell 3:47
12.80 Miles An Hour 5:44
Review
By Wild American Radio
Nowadays it seems there's three troubadours for every dive bar masquerading as a music venue. The small audiences that support these folks are already stretched razor thin, but the songmen (and women) keep comin', multiplying like Gremlins at a water park. Combine that with the ease of home recording and instant media, and it's more likely than ever that the really good ones will get lost in the crowd. Fortune has favored Matt Woods, though, and thanks largely to the emotionally-stirring video for "Dead Man's Blues" (which appears on this album), he's received some well-deserved attention.
There's a lot of singer-songwriters who have been at it a lot longer, but very few that possess the set of pipes Matt Woods has. It's less honky tonk than Southern rock. I'll have to beg forgiveness on so many levels for making this comparison, but it falls somewhere between Travis Tritt and Ronnie Van Zandt. Woods' songs and his music, however, are a different beast than the work of either of the aforementioned. Most of his writing centers on themes typical to George Jones: self-destruction, and the inherent tough (and bad) decisions that come with it. It's nothing you haven't heard before (especially in a country song), but Woods is the only one doing this way.
The songs on Brushy Mountain probably aren't going to resonate with the casual bar patron--they're too reflective for folks who are only out looking for a good time. But, for the daily drinkers (trying to escape from their pain or drown a memory), this is just the soundtrack for switching from beer to whiskey halfway through the night. There are a few glimmers of lightheartedness, such as on "Drinking To Forget" and "Real Hard Times," but mostly the album is an exercise in exorcising his inner demons.
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The old adage is "sing what you know," and it appears that Matt Woods is doing just that. Hopefully the road will get easier to travel, and he can free himself from the ghosts that haunt these songs. Aristotle said the purpose of tragedy in theater is to provide the audience with collective catharsis. Regardless of how personal this album undoubtedly is to Matt Woods, it might prove to be just as personal to the strangers he encounters along the lost highway. Here's hoping that some joy illuminates the darkness next time around. Until then, With Love From Brushy Mountain is as good as it gets in the independent circuit--and as close to mandatory for underground fans as the hype suggests.
OFFICIAL SITE
''WITH LOVE FROM BRUSHY MOUNTAIN''
MAY 13 2014
48:59
1. Ain't No Living 2:57
2. West Texas Wind 3:46
3. Snack Bar Mary and the Ten Pin Priest 3:44
4. Tiny Anchors 4:51
5. Drinking To Forget 3:41
6. Deadman's Blues 4:43
7. With Love From Brushy Mountain 5:10
8. Real Hard Times 2:57
9. Lying On The Floor 4:34
10.Lucero Song 3:16
11.Liberty Bell 3:47
12.80 Miles An Hour 5:44
Review
By Wild American Radio
Nowadays it seems there's three troubadours for every dive bar masquerading as a music venue. The small audiences that support these folks are already stretched razor thin, but the songmen (and women) keep comin', multiplying like Gremlins at a water park. Combine that with the ease of home recording and instant media, and it's more likely than ever that the really good ones will get lost in the crowd. Fortune has favored Matt Woods, though, and thanks largely to the emotionally-stirring video for "Dead Man's Blues" (which appears on this album), he's received some well-deserved attention.
There's a lot of singer-songwriters who have been at it a lot longer, but very few that possess the set of pipes Matt Woods has. It's less honky tonk than Southern rock. I'll have to beg forgiveness on so many levels for making this comparison, but it falls somewhere between Travis Tritt and Ronnie Van Zandt. Woods' songs and his music, however, are a different beast than the work of either of the aforementioned. Most of his writing centers on themes typical to George Jones: self-destruction, and the inherent tough (and bad) decisions that come with it. It's nothing you haven't heard before (especially in a country song), but Woods is the only one doing this way.
The songs on Brushy Mountain probably aren't going to resonate with the casual bar patron--they're too reflective for folks who are only out looking for a good time. But, for the daily drinkers (trying to escape from their pain or drown a memory), this is just the soundtrack for switching from beer to whiskey halfway through the night. There are a few glimmers of lightheartedness, such as on "Drinking To Forget" and "Real Hard Times," but mostly the album is an exercise in exorcising his inner demons.
input
The old adage is "sing what you know," and it appears that Matt Woods is doing just that. Hopefully the road will get easier to travel, and he can free himself from the ghosts that haunt these songs. Aristotle said the purpose of tragedy in theater is to provide the audience with collective catharsis. Regardless of how personal this album undoubtedly is to Matt Woods, it might prove to be just as personal to the strangers he encounters along the lost highway. Here's hoping that some joy illuminates the darkness next time around. Until then, With Love From Brushy Mountain is as good as it gets in the independent circuit--and as close to mandatory for underground fans as the hype suggests.
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OFFICIAL SITE
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