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Matt
McKay
Boston,
Massachusetts
Unsigned
Go
Back to MattMcKay.net
Acoustic
Rock
By:
Susan Frances, Northeast In-Tune Magazine (http://www.northeastintune.com)
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Matt
McKay
is an acoustic rock guitarist with songwriting skills that
measure up to Chuck Cannon (Toby Keith’s band) and Peter Yorn.
His vocals have a Paul Stanley (lead singer of KISS) raspiness
and a Sarah McLaughlin vulnerability. His music is
described as “dark folk” and “acoustic Goth” choosing
lyrics and chord moods that focus on the darker emotions of
relationships – those insecurities that brew beneath the
surface and long to come out. His acoustic ramblings
are mellow and sparsely adorned, and yet the emotions are
complex and bare a soul.
His
song “Harder” has a folk/rock style like Sun Volt
with movements that roam like a stream of consciousness, taking
excerpts from a private journal. Matt’s songs are
private and the touches on the melodies are inclusive to
himself. His track “They Don’t” is another
selection from a private experience where he vents off feelings
in the lyric:
“I’m
at the point where I’m
giving up on you.”
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He
says what you would like to say to someone in your own life at times.
The lyrics are accessible, raw and hold a personal meaning that can be
applied to facets of other people’s lives. His tune “Come”
muskets dark, looming tones with lyrics in search of the light at the
ending of the tunnel.
| Matt
McKay has a long history in the Boston music scene, recording
and performing as a session player for artists like Rick Berlin,
the band members of Extreme and Van Halen, Steve Vai, Joe Perry
and his own band Bitterhead. His self-titled album offers
songs that speak of dark emotions that when not released,
become choking to the soul. The adage that happiness
is bittersweet is a reality in Matt’s music. His songs
express that moment when the glow of joy has waned and you have
to find your way from there, with the musings of a few guitar
strums to aid you along your search. They say that
playing the acoustic guitar is unforgiving – all the blemishes
and flaws of your playing show, and yet it is the one way to see
yourself without pretense. |
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