Band: Matt Stevens
Band Website: www.mattstevensguitar.com
Label: Independent Release
Label Website:
Release Date: 2010
I don’t think I would be upsetting anyone’s apple cart to suggest that much like the guitar was the instrument that propelled
rock music, so keyboards worked in similar fashion to propel Progressive Rock, and yet having said that I’m amazed at how guitar,
both acoustic and electric is forging such a presence in progressive rock today. Those are my thoughts as I listen to the latest musical
offering from Matt Stevens entitled Ghost. Borrowing from his website, Stevens is a musician and composer who lives in
Ghost features ten instrumental tracks with the longest being a smidge over
six-minutes long and yet as you weave your way through these tunes you find yourself becoming immersed in sounds and melodies that
are constantly changing. Short or long seems to make no difference to Stevens. Each piece is built layer upon layer. In fact it strikes
me that his whole point of writing a piece is to see what he can do with it. The end comes when he’s done all he wants to with it.
Take a tune like “Big Sky” [5:39] that starts off with some heavy strumming overtop of which is laid some acoustic counterpoint picking
all of which comes together and then stops only to start up again with two layers of counterpoint on top. This is then repeated a
couple more times without ever sounding repetitious. The piece then ends with the main chording played in reverse. Interesting. The
next track, “Eleven” [2:35] is a much more subdued affair with a softer more intimate atmosphere although still somewhat up-tempo
playing off guitar and a triangle or bell tree. Then you have a composition like “Draw” [3:39] that starts off with a heavy bass rhythm
overtop of which is introduced a some high pitched picking, then lower key picking, then that is doubled up filling out the tones
nicely. At the one minute mark the piece gets all dark and doomy sounding a lot like Steve Hackett’s work. Then it returns to a bright
and sunny composure and this builds nicely until the doomy part returns. This back and forth is repeated a few more time to great
effect. My favorite track is “
Matt Stevens’ music is quite captivating. It draws you
in and as the layers of sounds are piled on you find yourself moving through the various soundscapes almost unknowingly and then the
record is done! Where has the time flown? Ghost is his second solo effort and is such a great set of compositions. Fans of acoustic
guitar and music created by the likes of Steve Hackett will find a lot to appreciate and enjoy here.
