Album Notes

The Matt Lewis Band

James Brown has gone undisputed for the past forty years as the Hardest Working Man in Show-biz, but the Matt Lewis Band may soon change that.

Drawing heavily from the sunny So-Cal sound of acts like Jack Johnson and G-Love, the Matt Lewis Band has a full, relaxed sound. Their self-titled 2004 debut is marked by the easy grooves of tracks like "Killing Time" and "Gravity," the punk-pop crossover of "Away From Myself," and the dorm room sound of "In For a Ride" and "River."

The constant throughout this genre-hopping is Lewis’ rapid-fire vocal delivery. Akin to having the Barenaked Ladies’ Ed Robertson or Blues Traveler’s John Popper front Sublime, the sound is at times familiar but never really boring. And the band, drawing from influences as diverse as singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson to rock legends Led Zeppelin create a funky backdrop that isn’t afraid to break into a jam or mellow out for a soft acoustic set.

Their album – which yields some great moments – only tells half the story. The Matt Lewis Band is touraholics, and not even paying $3.00 a gallon can stop them. In the past four months alone they’ve played over seventy shows and aren’t planning on slowing down. Spreading what Lewis calls a “vibe of unity and fun,” he and band mated Chad Bates, Cameron Runyan, and Jamie Timm are at any given moment probably driving to a show, playing a show, or driving back from said show.

This love for the stage is the band’s strongest asset. It has allowed them to capitalize on the strengths of the album, fix its mistakes, and constantly reinvent themselves and their songs. Growing from their reggae heavy roots, the Matt Lewis Band is quickly becoming a funky soul jam band with an amazing live show.

This is a group that, in both the literal and figurative sense, is gong places. So keep your ear to the ground: the hardest working up-and-comers in showbiz are bringing their eclectic mix to your town – and every other town along the way.



Reviewed by Zach Pendleton in Square Magazine