A cynic may call this a Clayton’s Live Album, a devoted fan, like me, would call it special. Matt has in essence, taken previously recorded songs, re shaped them, stripped them back and recorded them in one take – without an audience.
There are songs here, that in their other lives, were duets, used different instruments, were much more uptempo or were more complicated.
Here you get Matt singing to you in your lounge room, raw, casual, relaxed and mellow. You feel like going to the fridge and getting him a drink or maybe you want to offer him a more comfortable chair. Then you realise that he is on your CD player and not playing there with Andrew and Katya.
As most know, I am losing my hearing, but the way that this album sounds, I can hear every little detail. For anybody who has watched Matt set up the sound for his gigs, you know that he is a stickler for detail. Luke O’Shea and Damian Cafarella are probably the only other musos who pay so much attention to the sound set up at a gig.
So it is ironic that Matt just lets it be on this album. Matt and Andrew do a beautiful job of producing this album. I am a gal who loves stripped back, organic music and this is just so naturally and tenderly delivered.
Long after my ears go, I will remember this. Great job, Matt.
You may already know the songs but you won’t know them quite this way.
Cowgirlup 