Twisted South Summer 2011 by L.J. Gouveia
It’s hard to say a music town like Austin could benefit from yet another musician moving down here. But Matt Smith is not just another musician. The Monstas guitarist, singer, and songwriter made waves in New York for many years as a musician and sought-after producer and session player. It was likely just a matter of time before he’d move to join fellow Monstas like former Texas Tornadoes drummer Ernie Durawa, who turns up on this CD as well, along with rising-star vocalist LZ Love.
“Eclectic” doesn’t even begin to cover this ambitious set that swings through elegantly jazzy soul, blues rock, Caribbean steel drums like on “You Shine,” the Memphis blues-tinged “Gotta Getta Message to You,” Django-style riffs of “Hot Club of Brooklyn,” the sophisticated twang of “How It’s Gotta Be,” and the bone-deep funk of “Things to Do (Before I Die).” All with a seeming ease and charm that’s wistful and breezy at the same time. Yet instead of being all over the map, the tracks still come together as all of a piece with his soulful baritone and virtuoso guitar work. ‘Virtuoso’ is overused these days, but see for yourself, it’s warranted here.
And as if he doesn’t have enough going on between all that, various production projects, guitar endorsements, design and consultation for Ovation, and his own new signature model Fret-King (the self-tuning Matt-matic), he also has an impressive line of guitar instructional books, CDs, and videos available.
