Matchstickmen
Having already supported the likes of Electric Six, The Quireboys, Skin and Taking Dawn, Matchstickmen are on the scene and making a name for themselves. Fusing gravelly vocals with arena style riffs, this is a band who are out there hammering out good ol’ solid rock music! We were put onto their tracks to see what we thought, so as always, I figured I should check out what was going on!
Opening with Come’s In 3’s there’s a real sense of proper, solid old rock music as the grungy guitar line gets things going. Soft yet gravelly vocals echo in the background as the music continues to advance, taking a turn for the funkier side but continuing to hard towards and pummelling chorus to follow. Pummelling it isn’t, but what it is is catchy and powerful, continuing to show that this is a band who have got the ability to craft tracks which grab your attention, get you on board and make you want to know more. Most striking for me though is midway through when everything calms down, taking on a sense of the Goo Goo Dolls and Live, lowering the tone and simply allowing you to embrace everything which is happening around you – awesome.
Distorted Lullaby shows off a heavier side to the band, launching us into a classically formed rock n’ roll track full to the brim with funky power and catchy hooks. This is a seriously accomplished track, the sort of thing which makes you want to get out and see these guys on the live scene as you know it’s going to be damned good fun! Raising the bar even further with a catchy chorus, there’s no escape from the simple effectiveness of this track, it’s impossible to resist. As if to show that they’re not done, they then go and throw in a guitar solo of epic proportions, securing this track a slot amongst some of the best I’ve come across. Not Knowing brings things back down a notch, once again showing off the more acoustic side of the band and crafting a track which oozes with reflective emotion. Once again this track stands out as a showcase of a band who understand what they’re doing, understand their music and know what they want to achieve from their sound – and my god they’ve done it – this is an anthem in the waiting.
Lead Balloon follows much the same conventions of Not Knowing, once again opening in an acoustic manner but showing off a more energetic edge behind the music. This track stands out as a serious highpoint on the selection here, showing that this is a band that is going to have to be reckoned with once they really make a name for themselves. Catchy, emotional, powerful and full to the brim with guitar lines which will renew your faith in modern music, this is a track which I class amongst my personal favourites from the selection, perfect for a sunny afternoon with a beer. Make Mountains is a slight change in direction, opening with an almost Dire Straits style riff before launching into another funky rock n’ roll track designed to get people dancing rather than jumping around. Still managing to incorporate an element of attitude into the music, this track once again demonstrates that these guys shouldn’t be second guessed or pigeon holed, there’s far more to their music than meets the eye!
Closing with a cover of Give In To Me (Michael Jackson ft Slash) there’s a brave move afoot, a rock band covering a rock (ish) track from someone like Mr Jackson – yet they seem to do it. Now, I remember getting the Dangerous album when I was younger and loving this track from it, and if I had to pick a track from the self proclaimed king of pop that I really liked, it would probably be this one – so I was wondering how well they’d pull this off. The chaps though have added their own style, their own approach and their own sound, turning this into a track which could well be their own, managing what I thought was going to be impossible and turning Give In To Me into a track which is once again irrepressible, a track which is going to stand out and make a whole new audience pay attention to them – a hell of a closing to the selection!
What can I say about Matchstickmen other then well, they’ve certainly managed something pretty special here. The guys have taken rock n’ roll, combined it with some hard rock and once again shown that Liverpool is a city from which music seems to ooze through the blood. The tracks here show me one main thing – I need to get out and check these guys out on the live scene – they’re awesome!
To find out more about Matchstickmen, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Opening with Come’s In 3’s there’s a real sense of proper, solid old rock music as the grungy guitar line gets things going. Soft yet gravelly vocals echo in the background as the music continues to advance, taking a turn for the funkier side but continuing to hard towards and pummelling chorus to follow. Pummelling it isn’t, but what it is is catchy and powerful, continuing to show that this is a band who have got the ability to craft tracks which grab your attention, get you on board and make you want to know more. Most striking for me though is midway through when everything calms down, taking on a sense of the Goo Goo Dolls and Live, lowering the tone and simply allowing you to embrace everything which is happening around you – awesome.
Distorted Lullaby shows off a heavier side to the band, launching us into a classically formed rock n’ roll track full to the brim with funky power and catchy hooks. This is a seriously accomplished track, the sort of thing which makes you want to get out and see these guys on the live scene as you know it’s going to be damned good fun! Raising the bar even further with a catchy chorus, there’s no escape from the simple effectiveness of this track, it’s impossible to resist. As if to show that they’re not done, they then go and throw in a guitar solo of epic proportions, securing this track a slot amongst some of the best I’ve come across. Not Knowing brings things back down a notch, once again showing off the more acoustic side of the band and crafting a track which oozes with reflective emotion. Once again this track stands out as a showcase of a band who understand what they’re doing, understand their music and know what they want to achieve from their sound – and my god they’ve done it – this is an anthem in the waiting.
Lead Balloon follows much the same conventions of Not Knowing, once again opening in an acoustic manner but showing off a more energetic edge behind the music. This track stands out as a serious highpoint on the selection here, showing that this is a band that is going to have to be reckoned with once they really make a name for themselves. Catchy, emotional, powerful and full to the brim with guitar lines which will renew your faith in modern music, this is a track which I class amongst my personal favourites from the selection, perfect for a sunny afternoon with a beer. Make Mountains is a slight change in direction, opening with an almost Dire Straits style riff before launching into another funky rock n’ roll track designed to get people dancing rather than jumping around. Still managing to incorporate an element of attitude into the music, this track once again demonstrates that these guys shouldn’t be second guessed or pigeon holed, there’s far more to their music than meets the eye!
Closing with a cover of Give In To Me (Michael Jackson ft Slash) there’s a brave move afoot, a rock band covering a rock (ish) track from someone like Mr Jackson – yet they seem to do it. Now, I remember getting the Dangerous album when I was younger and loving this track from it, and if I had to pick a track from the self proclaimed king of pop that I really liked, it would probably be this one – so I was wondering how well they’d pull this off. The chaps though have added their own style, their own approach and their own sound, turning this into a track which could well be their own, managing what I thought was going to be impossible and turning Give In To Me into a track which is once again irrepressible, a track which is going to stand out and make a whole new audience pay attention to them – a hell of a closing to the selection!
What can I say about Matchstickmen other then well, they’ve certainly managed something pretty special here. The guys have taken rock n’ roll, combined it with some hard rock and once again shown that Liverpool is a city from which music seems to ooze through the blood. The tracks here show me one main thing – I need to get out and check these guys out on the live scene – they’re awesome!
To find out more about Matchstickmen, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls