White Lines & Highway Signs
Originally posted to S&R blog.
Deep down south in Birmingham, AL country music is alive and well. Matt Smith debut his latest EP, White Lines & Highway Signs on February 3, 2017. This five song EP touches the cornerstones of southern music, romance, hometown nostalgia and gratitude for what we have in life.
Matt Smith travels around the south promoting his EP as well as playing popular cover songs opening up for acts such as the Zac Brown Band, Sam Hunt, and Adam Hunt. You can find Matt’s tour dates here. Here is S&R’s review of Matt’s latest EP – White Lines & Highway Signs.
First on the album of five is “Make You Wanna Stay.” Instantly you can tell from the songs instrumental intro this is the caliber of song one could find on any country radio station. Matt’s voice – a strong southern drawl – comes in singing about heartbreak and the final moments of a relationship. The chucky telecaster chugs along through the verse and chorus which is followed by the same intro riff played at the beginning of the song.
The second verse is a bit mellower. The chunky guitar chords of the first verse are replaced by popping thrills and fills and chordal accents. The second chorus picks things back up into the same intensity as the first. This is followed by a catchy 8 bar solo that adds emotion to the lively song reminding the listener that while this song has an upbeat tempo, it is lyrical a somber tune.
A bridge follows the solo followed by a full throttle chorus. The song fades just as it started, with the intro riff. This is textbook on how to write a radio hit country song. Go listen to “My Kinda Party” by Jason Aldean or “Play Something Country” by Brooks & Dunn – they both have the same song structure as this number. Structurally they are all laid out in this perfect order: intro riff verse catchy chorus intro riff verse (played differently than the first) catchy chorus killer 8 bar guitar solo chorus intro riff. It’s a simple, yet effective formula that works so well. Matt works it to his advantage on this first track.
Next up is “Take Me Home” – a beautiful tune on the nostalgia of home and southern living in the state of Alabama. From “Take me to T-Town to that Bama game” and “War Damn Eagle” (kills me inside to write that) referencing the state’s rich tradition of collegiate football games on Saturdays. As a former Alabamian, I can certainly attest that Saturdays in the fall are for football.
The song starts out with the EP’s title followed by the struggles of being on the road – coffee, nicotine, greasy fast food and cheap motel rooms. Matt calls out for his hometown and being around a familiar atmosphere when the life on eh road as a musician gets monotonous. The lead guitar fills the spaces in between the lyrics quite nicely – something much popular country music has seemed to forget.
After a ripping solo full of bends and fast arpeggiated runs, the song mellows for the first part of the chorus then quickly rises into full band participation. The song is driven out by an outro solo ending with the first few notes of Dixie – a tip of the hat towards Matt’s home in Alabama.
The next song is “Luckiest Man.” A song of a man telling his love how lucky he is to have her. “I’ve never felt this way before” is the dominating lyrical line surrounded by crisp clean lead guitar work. The song is a fairly straight forward country love ballad – a great country love song. Matt certainly has the country formula down.
Up next is my favorite song off the EP, “Leave Country Alone.” The introduction pays respect to the greats that came before with an opening riff that feels familiar but has modern tendencies that springboard the song towards a country music classic.
The first thing I think about after hearing the first few lines is: “Hey this song sounds in the same vein of Waylon Jennings’ ‘Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?’” Sure enough, not ten seconds later, Matt can be heard singing “But I don’t think Hank would have done it that way.”
The chorus pays homage to outlaw singers such as Hank Williams Jr, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and George Jones through lines such as “what happened to family traditions” and “classics like Folsom Prison [Blues].” Matt is angry about modern country appearing on country’s top 40 radio stations. Leave Country Alone is an outcry against pop country asking to let country music be country not over synthed, over polished, twanged down versions you fin don the top of the charts these days.
Don’t believe him or think country is just fine as it is? Do me a quick favor – open Spotify and check out their top country popular playlists. Now find me a song that has twang or a honky tonk number that the Man in Black or Possum will appreciate. I’ll wait. And if you’re scratching your head or googling how a marsupial is related to country music, then you’re probably pissed at my claims and probably enjoy pop country music.
Ok, ill step off of my soapbox now.
Leave Country Alone is a great outcry against the Nashville music industry’s current state of mind in the same vein as Sturgill Simpson and Jason Isbell’s views of the scene. Its solo is straight forward with a bunch of bends & pre-bends that pop and twang similar to the old guards of outlaw country music. Like the chorus says, a lot of songs out of Nashville these days, they do have it all wrong, but Matt has it right with this number.
The last song on the White Lines & Highway Signs is “Back Seat of a Van”. It has a Dierks Bentley feel as Matt sings about life on the road and the hardships of musicians who are away from their loved ones. It’s a mellower tune with its guitars utilizing more of a neck pickup setting that adds a different color compared to the rest of the album’s bright and twangy tone; especially on the solos which is arguably the best one of the five songs.
Matt’s White Lines & Highway Signs can be found on iTunes here, or streaming on Spotify. If you are a fan of local acts and country music, go check it out!
Until next time, let the music play!