Watch him go! After more than 45 amazing years of developing the art form as a master guitarist, songwriter, producer, teacher, writer, and top guitar clinician, Matt Smith presents his most impressive and brilliant creation yet – the nine-song album “…this is not ok…” which was released on August 3rd.
To even imagine how much work went into pouring more than four decades of dedication, effort, and guitar mastery into one album boggles the mind. It isn’t only an album being thrown out into the world but a lifetime of study into the essence of the music form, bringing the strings to life, and teaching others how to get every note. Smith has taken all that incredible talent and experience and poured it right into an album that burns with living electricity. Let’s get started.
The album starts with the song “World Is a Wheel”, creating a leisurely front porch atmosphere through the throb of an upright bassline, coupled with crisp, clickety percussion. The lyrical message plumbs the depths of the unrelenting circle of life, with time passing no matter how ready we are, as well as the idea that a circular route has nowhere to go and nothing but the open spaces within which to run and hide. The character in the song also advises us to evolve instead of staying the same, and evolve just like the world keeps on turning. Smith offers a gravel-voiced performance that speaks of years of life experience, layered with rich multitrack, killer electric guitar melody, and vocals that harken back to the mid-century studio recordings of old.
In its role as a social commentary, “Cry for America” opens with a singular, meaningful piano melody and electric guitar followed by a slow and dramatic organ. The theme explores national mourning, political division, and disillusionment within society through well-known melodies that raise the question of where society lost its compassion. The song contains certain lyrics of the country’s national anthem, and the character in the song talks about how hatred has ripped the country apart and talks about how the country is the paradigm that other countries measure peace and democracy by. Although we cry for America, the song ends on a hopeful note where the character still believes that things will get better. Concerning music, this track makes use of a back-and-forth conversation of lead voices, growing in a gospel-like passion and with a hint of brass and weeping slide instrumentation. The effect is powerful and conveys a sense of complex sadness and hope for human connection.
With the removal of the bulkier arrangements, “Orphans” starts softly with a light and intimate sound of finger-picking on an acoustic guitar that even allows hearing the squeaking of fingers gliding over the strings. Thematically, the song talks about the unbreakable nature of the human spirit. The character encourages us to keep going because no matter what happens, there is a light that shines above us, and we need to hold on because there is light at the end of the tunnel. This song really hit home with me, especially during recovery in one moment in my life, and I know that hearing this song back then would have made things easier for me, and I have consolation in the fact that Smith is now giving us hope that we can hold on to in trying times. Musically, Smith provides a very delicate and whispering voice of a confessional nature supported by only ambient elements and a faint sound of a weeping slide guitar.
Breaking up the serene ambiance, “Level Ground” opens up with a pulsating, moderately-paced roots rock beat and an edgy and over-driven electric guitar riff that catches the ear instantly. As far as the lyrics are concerned, they focus on the tiring mental struggle involved in losing someone important. The character in the song is grieving and missing someone who isn’t there anymore. He contemplates how the only person that he trusted and was good to him is now gone. In terms of the delivery, the vocals of Smith have a touch of exasperation associated with them, and this is enhanced further by the bouncy bass line and syncopated beats.
Shifting gears into a more relaxed and humorous outlook on love, “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again” gets going with a fast-paced and catchy country-infused acoustic beat alongside the cheerful strums of both a mandolin and a banjo. The song lyrics are humorous regarding the cycle of heartache and follow along the journey of the heart, which renounces its love life due to the mundane routine but quickly jumps right back in. The character in the song laments about how his heart has been broken again and again. Having had enough of the pain, he swears never to fall in love again. The vocal aspect of the song comes across as carefree, happy, and casual – in keeping with the porch jam theme.
The tone of the song changes considerably in “A Life in Love”, which begins with a dreamy electric guitar note played over a few bars, developing slowly into a slow-burning ballad. This particular track deals with the realities of commitment in life, discussing the compromises, successes, and failures in love. It’s important to note the message in this song, which is the fact that in life, it’s important to have loved someone or even many people rather than to never have, being an island and refusing to let anyone love you. Love is a risk? Yes, but ultimately, sometimes, the risk is worth the reward. Smith’s vocals deliver this track with one of his most soulful and smooth deliveries on the album, backed by a tapestry of piano chords and vocal bends from a guitar that imitate breathing. It is quite an emotionally moving song, encouraging the listener to think about the long-term relationships in their lives and appreciate the compromises that have to be made to love someone.
Once again casting a dark shade on the musical landscape, the song “9Outside My Fence” begins with a threatening and brooding bass line and a hypnotic kick drum, creating a tangible sense of loneliness and isolation. The song becomes an eloquent allegory on self-exile in the contemporary world, as it shows the uselessness of erecting tall walls to isolate oneself from the frightening world outside, just to come to the conclusion that one is imprisoned by one’s own fears. In vocal terms, Smith takes on an ominous, smoky persona, singing like an observer from the corner of a dark porch, and uses eerie guitar tones along with a slow and menacing rhythm.
Hitting back with a no-nonsense approach, the track “Bad Man” opens up the air of tension by immediately diving into an arrogant and hefty blues-rock lick coupled with a rimshot that creates a relentless and raw rhythm. In thematic content, the lyrics strip down the concept of corruption, deceitfulness, and the tricks people play on themselves in order to make unethical decisions at the cost of someone else. In terms of musicality, the track is loaded with attitude and raw charm, displaying the artist’s profound passion for the traditional blues music, as well as snarling guitars and a hefty rhythmic section, which require tapping one’s foot along with the track.
This album comes into its spiritual apex with “From the Ashes,” beginning with an unaccompanied, solemn intro before the warm sounds of an electric guitar and a tenderly played church organ enter as the first light of dawn. Thematically, it becomes the message of hope for today that despite any amount of destruction, there is still the potential for renewal based on the resilience of human nature. It seems cliché, but it’s true: we always rise to the top when we are beaten down, and from our lowest moment, our victory rises, as long as we keep fighting; no fire can keep us down forever because we will be reborn!. Vocally, the voice of Smith speaks with earned wisdom and earnestness, with the gorgeous harmonies of multiple voices coming together in an uplifting fashion as if people are coming together to heal each other. This is an inspiring piece that leaves you feeling a great sense of closure and peace.
Not one to just offer a reflection of the brutal reality of these modern times, Matt Smith digs right into the dirt beneath the music, turning the sounds into a map for compassion, relentless hope, fierce resilience, and the radical grace of being able to find common ground at a time when everything is tearing us apart. Crafted in the creative studios of Austin and New York, this nine-track opus is a true work of art in its purest form, combining the unrelenting power of blues and rock with the soulful warmth of folk, roots, and Americana styles with boldness and passion. All of the songs are vital beyond measure, thanks to the exceptional talents of the select few virtuoso musicians and vocalists brought together from both coasts by the talented Smith into an emotional, human experience that will not leave your side even long after the last song has ended. You know what, Smith, every track in this album is a gift to be cherished; the message you share is a whole new way of seeing things and, truly, I have your heart in this!
Stream the “”…this is not ok…” album on SoundCloud
Follow Matthew Smith here and his socials: Instagram, YouTube, Bandcamp
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