A tourist chances upon the Proclivities, and leaves town happy!
author: Michael R. Bristow (from Seattle)
I saw these guys in Raleigh, NC while passing through town; picked the club (The Pourhouse) randomly out of the local entertainment tabloid, and I struck gold. The live arrangements were more rockin', as one might expect, but this Cd has only deepened my appreciation of Matt and Co. I don't know if I've ever crossed the US, heard one band, and promptly ordered their Cd. Along with The Kingsbury Manx, The Proclivities now mean North Carolina to me. Thanks y'all for the perfect last night to a great roadtrip!
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...Matt Douglas strays from his jazz roots to wander into the world of folky pop
author: Katherine Justce
On his debut album, Predispositions, singer/songwriter Matt Douglas strays from his jazz roots to wander into the world of folky pop-rock, creating an album full of reflections and observations on hell, happiness and women. Douglas finds his voice, a warm and warbly alto, functioning as its own spiritual soothsayer, taking life lessons of failed relationships, unrequited love and the higher art of understanding God and turning them into open-ended lyrical sermons of inspiration.
But don't be fooled: Douglas is not a champion of romanticized hope. In fact, his songs carry a pragmatic philosophy, relying heavily on his reality and eschewing his illusions. On "Second Floor," Douglas comes to terms with naiveté in romance, singing "I can't be so starry-eyed/ When the stars are loving you" over a sweeping arrangement that, like his voice, flows directly from a tempered shuffle to an emphatic swell. Songs like "Subway Girl," "Pauline" and "Annie" find Douglas on his knees, sorting through the pieces of his broken heart, thinking about second chances and bad timing to acoustic guitars. The gospel-influenced "Your Secret" walks the fine line between a sinner and a saint, sorting out small-town deception and morality over running lines of organs and handclaps.
Douglas isn't overtly optimistic or pessimistic, but he moves with the ebb and flow of his emotion, highlighting the pain and the pleasure through his music. His expert band follows him through those changes like it's their natural bent.
--Katherine Justice, The Independent
www.indyweek.com
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