Scott Matthews - What the Night Delivers

Scott Matthews - Third studio album of psychedelica-tinged folk/rock is also a reunion with producer Jon Cotton, the man behind Matthews' outstanding 2006 debut Passing Strangers (and brilliant Ivor Norvello award-winning track "Elusive")... comparisons to Nick Drake, Jeff Buckley and the acoustic side of Led Zep notwithstanding, Matthews has found his own voice, mixing moody acoustic soundscapes with an almost spooky spiritual vibe...fan Robert Plant guested on the '09 sophomore release Elsewhere // Release: What the Night Delivers (September 5, San Remo) // Sounds like: Matthew's voice, at times reminiscent of a softer Eddie Vedder, is a perfect fit for his folksy, often gorgeous chamber pop...while his guitar-playing remains as inventive as ever, the focus wisely remains on the stellar songwriting...

Quote: Matthews views Night as a mix of old and new, earlier unreleased songs dating back to 2002 along with fresh compositions that he says combine elements of "the kind of frantic, eclectic stuff of the first album...(with) the more lyrically driven second album." // What we like: well, everything, actually -- after some musical soul searching (dropped by his original label, not much response to second LP), this is an assured and confident step forward... "Myself Again" is an aptly titled lead track, a song that takes its time to develop into a sweetly nuanced folk hymn of fingerpicked beauty..."The Man Who Had Everything" reminds us a bit of Mark Knopfler's understated touch and graceful uptempo jaunt (right down to the reverbed, slinky guitar solo)...

Scott Matthews - "Myself Again" (from What the Night Delivers)

Scott Matthews - What the Night Delivers Sampler) ("So Long My Moonlight", "Ballerina Lake", "The Man Who Had Everything")