Scott Matthews : 'Into the firing line'/'Is this love'
.jpg)
Released: Out Now!!!
Label: Island Records/San Remo
Despite little chart success to show for it, Scott Matthews debut album received critical acclaim and pushed himself towards the title of the ‘next best singer songwriter’. Two years on, has Matthews come back with just as creditable material? Judging by this double A side single, he’s got the talent to fulfil the claim as the premiere songwriter of this country.
'Into the firing line' is a drum driven track with a nice mix of guitar work and even some strings in the background for good effect. It is lyrically very good and you sort of get the impression it is very spontaneous and quickly thought up. This may be why it is a musically quick track.
He uses a lot of metaphors and imagery for his lyrics which shows his talent. This is evident in the line, “The pressure is too much for you, a bottle of red slowly slowly unscrews, it threatens to swallow you and consume all you have to prove”. It feels like Matthews is telling you a story and in a sense a life lesson and what happens in the direction you take and the consequences that may occur.
It’s a fairly catchy track and represents Matthews’ diversity that he can produce more than just folky/acoustic records. Not his finest hour but this more eclectic track is certainly worthy of a listen or two.
As part of the double A side, Matthews performs a special cover of the Bob Marley classic ‘Is this love’.
It starts off with a middle eastern guitar sound and then becomes a gentle acoustic cover, which is the type of sound that the Wolverhampton singer is most potent at.
The track sounds tender and a worldly and thought provoking feel comes out from it. A far cry from the original song, with Marley’s well renowned reggae beats. It does make you think if Matthews can turn this type of a song, which is heralded by many among Marley’s greatest tracks, into a well sought out tune then he can surely turn any cover into a masterpiece.
A beautiful song which has some fantastic acoustic instrumentals in it makes this track a success and goes hand in hand with the other track on this double A side.
If this fine singer can keep on producing the goods then it’s inevitable he will become one of the stars of current crop of singer songwriters, not just in the UK but across the Atlantic as well.
Words: Sean Wright
Write a comment
- Required fields are marked with *.
-->