Matthews Comes Out On Top Of Technical Troubles
As Scott Matthews himself acknowledges in our interview earlier on this week his music is very hard to categorise; something the fans around me are finding tricky as they try to convey his style to friends. After one of said fans imparts to his girlfriend that Scott plays "quiet acoustic" music, the singer opens with a brooding instrumental laced with pulsing experimental guitar, deep chugging cello notes and explosive percussion - stick that in your genre generator then!
The rest of the set moves back to the typical fare of Matthews' debut album, 'Passing Stranger', beginning with the aching and ethereal 'Dream Song'. Matthews is a genuine bloke and experiencing some technical difficulties himself, he keeps asking after our wellbeing and whether everyone can hear ok, he even introduces his band before the second song, a touching show of unity. 'City Headache's smokey bkyes with a loping rhythm and undulating vocals goes down well and the emergence of a harmonica later on instantly induces a surge of handclaps. Title track, 'Passing Stranger' is a breezy affair that pleases, while 'The Fool's Fooling Himself' is a fine swirling heavy rock tune to finish on. Scott Matthews is the kind of act who really deserves his place in a second stage Uncut Arena.