Jeff Matthews In Heavy Rotation

 

I've written about Jeff Matthews before. His previous E.P.s recorded with some of my favorite musicians, including the great Earl Slick on guitar, Paul Santo on bass and keys, and the monster Steve Holley driving the band on drums, pushed all my pop and rock buttons and they remain in rotation, with "Shut Up & Listen" from 2021 being one of my favorite tracks of that year.

Now, the usual suspects are back with a few new recruits that include Oskar Häggdahl on drums, Danny Lipsitz on horn, and someone not on my bingo card, Mr. Lubo Smilenov on the damn bagpipes! The new E.P. is "Heavy Rotation" and it is once again produced by the mad pop genius Mark Hudson who also adds some stellar harmony vocals while the great Mario McNulty is keeping it all together behind the boards. 

Like his previous releases, Matthews takes his influences and creates something fresh, so much so, each new E.P. has a different vibe than the previous.

"Two Steps Back" sounds like a brilliant hybrid of "Can't Buy A Thrill"-era Steely Dan with a "Gaucho"-era vibe. "Frown (R.B.F.)" has a retro sunshine pop melody, like something you would hear on a Critters or Turtles record, sprinkled with essence of Todd Rundgren. And "Blank And Blue" is quite simply, beautiful.

What I love most about Jeff Matthews and Mark Hudson working together is that one pass through any one of Matthews' E.P.s will be a solid reminder that the art of record making is not lost. These musicians are seasoned veterans with enough credits under their belts to make your head spin, from David Bowie and Aerosmith to Ringo Starr, Ian Hunter, Paul McCartney, Joey Molland and Cher. You can hear it all in every track.

Give these songs a spin. I guarantee you won't need to fish for hooks.

The full E.P. is available on all of your favorite streaming services.