Matt Andersen - 2 albums: Live At Olympic Hall / Honest Man

Album: Live At Olympic Hall
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:17
Size: 124.3 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Year: 2018
Art: Front

[ 5:39] 1. Weightless
[ 3:50] 2. Alberta Gold
[ 3:54] 3. I Don't Wanna Give In
[ 5:28] 4. What Will You Leave
[ 5:36] 5. Coal Mining Blues
[ 5:04] 6. Ophelia
[ 8:01] 7. My Last Day
[ 6:35] 8. Going Down
[10:06] 9. Devils Bride

After playing thousands of shows around the world, Matt Andersen has mastered the art of delivering captivating and commanding performances that audiences simply can't keep quiet about. Andersen's well-earned word-of-mouth reputation is backed up by two European Blues Awards, a Juno nomination for Roots & Traditional Album of the year, six Maple Blues Awards for Male Vocalist of the year and over 10 million views on YouTube.

With Live At Olympic Hall, Andersen's thunderous, one-of-a-kind voice is joined by his superbly talented friends from the 10-piece band, The Mellotones. Featuring danceable blasts of brass, slinky slide guitar solos and whirling organs, this live recording captures the unmistakable magic of seeing a master at work.

Live At Olympic Hall mc
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Album: Honest Man
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:14
Size: 83.0 MB
Styles: Electric blues
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[2:45] 1. Break Away
[4:27] 2. The Gift
[3:33] 3. Honest Man
[4:08] 4. I'm Giving In
[3:52] 5. Quiet Company
[4:24] 6. Let's Get Back
[4:02] 7. All The Way
[3:17] 8. Last Surrender
[2:43] 9. Who Are You Listening To
[3:00] 10. One Good Song

The Canadian Maritimes aren't necessarily known for producing A-list blues acts, but over a decade's worth of quality releases and heavy touring have made New Brunswick's Matt Andersen into one of the nation's more reliable performers. For the follow-up to his Juno-nominated 2014 album Weightless, the powerhouse singer teamed up with veteran R&B producer Commissioner Gordon (Amy Winehouse, Joss Stone) in New York to record Honest Man. Throughout Andersen's career, his roots-oriented approach has included elements of blues, folk, soul, rock, and country, so a venture into the R&B world seems like it should be a fairly natural progression for him. Opening track "Break Away" is buoyantly funky with a tight beat and an uplifting message that suits his warm, friendly voice. The title cut is another funky affair with a nice interlocking B-3 and horn groove that really sets the tone for the album's direction. One of the most noticeable things about Honest Man is Gordon's use of programmed beats, samples, and synths to propel the songs. While Andersen's prior recordings could never be accused of having a low production value, the added studio gloss here feels a bit too extreme. As a performer, he's the kind of guy who can captivate a room with just an acoustic guitar and that big, comforting voice. Part of Andersen's appeal as both a singer and a songwriter is how relatable he seems, and this slick new setting doesn't quite do him justice. There are a few exceptions like the dark piano ballad "I'm Giving In" and "Last Surrender" with its vintage Stax vibe, but overall, this foray into shiny studio pop is a bit of a stumble. ~Timothy Monger

Honest Man mc
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