Musical genres have gotten harder and harder to define as more and more blends and offshoots seem to sprout up every day. But does any artist truly need to try and pigeonhole their sound? No! It does help a critic to have an idea of what he is about to hear but beyond that a surprise is a good thing. We were recently pleasantly surprised by the music of Matthew Heller.
The talented musician grew up on a small farm in Portland, Oregon but there must have been great access to a trove of great music that helped develop his sound. There are glimpses of classic rock, punk, and the beautiful vulnerability of folk music all wrapped into one. Matthew Heller’s music is starting to really pick up steam out West with a feature in The Deli Magazine and possible inclusion on the PDXPOPNOW CD compilation. Get on this train before it hits full speed.
Late last summer Matthew Heller released the Tragedy Town EP which was recorded at the Portland staples Flora Recording and Jackpot! Studios. The opening track “Raygun” jumps out at the listener with a raw punk rock ethos mellowed out by Heller’s smooth voice and some fancy accompanying guitar work builds up some real excitement throughout the song. Enjoy the video here:
The title track “Tragedy Town” slows it down a little and lets the folk storytelling style lead the way with an alt rock feel and very catchy chorus. This one will stick in your head a while. The record ends with “Fault Line” and its minimalistic piano based beginning and continues with a rising tempo that will get your head bopping along to the sweet vocals and folk sounds popping in. Big things are coming for Matthew Heller. Keep up to date at:
Website: http://www.Hellermusic.com
Bandcamp: https://matthewheller.bandcamp.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatthewHeller1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MHellermusic
