Canadian blues & roots maestro Matt Andersen releases his tenth album on March 22 via MGM (True North Records). ‘Halfway Home by Morning’ comprises of thirteen tracks, all of which take you on a wonderful musical journey through an album filled with rhythm & blues, plenty of soul & gospel undertones as well as an upbeat energy throughout. Emotionally, it jugs at your heartstrings one minute and suddenly has you tapping your feet the next.
Recorded ‘live’ at Southern Ground Studios in Nashville, Tennessee all the while standing in the shadows of where the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis, Emmylou Harris & Neil Young have previously recorded, Andersen makes excellent use of his full band, as he skilfully injects the horn section to add another dimension to the tracks.
The album opens with the shuffle stomp of ‘What Would Your Mama Say’, before the tempo lifts up with ‘Free Man’. My favourite of the album is the beautiful ‘Something to Lose’, a stunning duet with Amy Helm sharing vocal duties, as we are reminded of the heartache of breakups. I’m a bit of a sucker for horn-infused blues tracks and we get these with songs like ‘Gasoline’ & ‘Help Yourself’. There are some moments that are reminiscent of the great Buddy Guy, with songs like ‘Better Than You Want’ & ‘The Bed I Made’ and the wonderful almost gospel-like ‘Quarter on the Ground’ & ‘Long Rider’. Special mention must go to fantastic backing singers Ann, Regina & Alfreda McCray who lend their harmonies to give this album even more depth.
The album has been produced & mixed by Steve Dawson & Sheldon Zaharko, with additional recording work carried out at The Henhouse Studio in Nashville and was mastered by Kim Rosen at Knack Mastering, Ringwood.
Track Listing
What Would Your Mama Say
Free Man
Something to Lose (feat. Amy Helm)
The Bed I Made
Give Me Some Light
Better Than You Want
Gasoline
Over Me
Help Yourself
Long Rider
Take Me Back
Been My Last
Quarter on the Ground