by Johanna B. Bodde
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 In 2009 I listened to Matt Harlan's music for the
first time. Open minded, as I always try to be. That was his debut CD 'Tips
& Compliments' and he could have been just another singer-songwriter from
the big state of Texas. But he turned out to be much more than that! The lyrics
of the first song "I got a bad phone call from Elizabethtown - Said my brother,
he's back in jail" got me interested and already the second song completely
convinced me: "The skinny trees of Mississippi are dancing past the window". And
then there was "Waiting For Godot": "Trailer parks are always first in line to
feel the flames" and "Over The Bridge": "It's my first night back - and I'm
cooking smack - in a barroom filled with gambling fools instead. Man, the levees
broke and the floods came - and I'm left standing seven hours away."
Excellent!!
Just when I was writing this piece, Matt posted on FaceBook: "On this 9th
anniversary of Hurricane Katrina making landfall in Louisiana, I'm making my
song, "Over the Bridge", available for free. It was written in response to
Barbara Bush's infamous "let them eat cake" moment when she remarked that
sleeping on cots and living in the Astrodome was "working very well" for
evacuees that were "underprivileged anyway". As a brand-new Houstonian visiting
the Dome that day to help distribute water and listen to people's stories, I
didn't get the same impression. I saw people who were standing
strong in the face of adversity and making the best of what they had in the
aftermath of a disaster. Although you could tell how grateful some folks were
for having a place to stay and the hospitality they were shown, I couldn't say
anyone that I met was living it up. Perspective can make all the difference in
the world... so I wanted to share a little of mine with y'all. Be kind to each
other."
With his second album 'Bow And Be Simple' the man
from Houston literally came a bit closer, as he recorded it in Denmark with our
friend MC Hansen and his band, better known as The Sentimentals. He even covered
MC's song "Baby Blue". Vocalist Rachel Jones made appearances and we were told
she was Matt's longtime girlfriend.
Fast forward to a Wednesday night early October
2012. Matt was touring in Western Europe with the MC Hansen Band and needed one
more show to break even. Dollard Radio was still in its prime back then, so my
colleagues Peter van Zeijl (host of 'Folk Enzo') and head engineer Peter
Jurgens set up a connection to the concert in... the garage of the Van Zeijl
house in Drieborg! After my own radio show I hurried by train to Bad
Nieuweschans, almost on the German border, was picked up and landed in the
middle of a nice dinner where also Dan Krikorian, a singer-songwriter from
California, was sitting at the table. That concert - rocking in rather primitive
circumstances- was absolutely great, one of those moments in music history
you'll never forget! The Danes left for Denmark that same night and we talked
some more with Matt. He planned to pick up his girlfriend Rachel from Amsterdam
Airport the next morning and... he was going to propose to her!! He had his
grandmother's rings with him and he was bloody nervous...
Well, he had nothing to worry about, when we saw
Matt and Rachel again the following Sunday at the Roepaen Festival - they were
blissfully happy together! So much, that it inspired Drew Landry (one of the
other performing artists) to finish a new song backstage and specially dedicate
it to the newly engaged couple. No more 'GFF' (GirlFriend Forever) for
pretty Rachel - as she joked just before singing one of their beautiful duets! I
think it was one of those 'best days in my life' for everybody: the music, the
attentive audience, that beautiful room in the old monastery, even something
magic in the autumn sunlight through the windows.....
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 And here is Matt Harlan's new CD: 'Raven Hotel'!
Recorded in Austin, with some of the best players in that city: veteran producer
Rich Brotherton (acoustic & electric guitars, banjo, lapsteel, dobro, bass,
synth, vocals); Bukka Allen (accordion, organ, piano); Floyd Domino (also on
keys); Glenn Fukunaga (upright & electric bass); Mickey Raphael (harmonica);
among others. Of course Rachel Jones (Mrs. Harlan) sings again, even a solo
vocal on "Riding With The Wind". Matt himself plays acoustic guitars and their
sound always stays in the center of the recording. The result is a fine blend of altcountry.
Matt is a storyteller, his voice is good and
pleasant to listen to, which is more than adequate for the purpose. If I needed
to make comparisons, I would probably say: John Gorka, Slaid Cleaves, Guy Clark
and John Prine.
The stories can't be all from his own life, he has
the gift of listening when others tell about what happened to them, also of
observing the scenery and landscapes. He intelligently creates the rest - into
another collection of great songs. Too bad my promo copy didn't have a booklet
with the lyrics this time, but if you purchase the album it will certainly be
there!
Opening track "Old Spanish Moss" gets some fine
violin playing by the young Maddy Brotherton, a story about life's ups &
downs, disguised as a waltz. The road song "Second Gear" touches the heart in
true and melancholy folk tradition. "We Never Met (Time Machine)" definitely has
the best title! Nostalgic song "Raven Hotel" describes Matt's own world as a
travelling musician. "Old Allen Road" has a Mexican touch, with accordion,
Spanish guitar and upright bass, but it's the desolate and sad kind, just like
the six minutes long story about two murdered migrant workers. We know what we can expect from dynamic "Rock & Roll" - a
gritty electric guitar like in the early countryrock, but "The Optimist" turns
out to be an introvert story from a woman's perspective, not optimistic but
bittersweet rolling along: "Rain just means everyone’s allowed to cry”.
"Burgundy & Blue" is a nice jazzy surprise
with the upright bass and the tenor saxophone, played by John Mills. On the
countryblues ballad "Slow Moving Train" the great Mickey Raphael adds his
harmonica and Rachel sings a crystal clear duet vocal. Last track "Rearview Display" refers to the asphalt, stretching all the
way to the horizon; this is the only co-write - with George Ensle and Buffalo
Rogers.
To make a long story short: all three albums by
Matt Harlan are highly recommended, every music lover should go to one of his
concerts (with band or just with Rachel) and don't forget: always take time to
dance beneath the trees with that Old Spanish Moss!
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Written by Johanna J. Bodde - August 29th,
2014
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