Matthew A. Wilkinson

First I would like to openly say that I personally do not like country music. I would like to preface all my judgements though those glasses.

The album opens up boldly with "Big Cheque Big Money." It works well to prepare the listener for the entire album. Though greatly influenced by country music, the song seems far from the drone and easy rhyme usually associated with the genre. Rather, the song is, like the entire album, opens with big music and big lyrics setting the table for a meal full of meaningful thoughts, spiritual perseverance and some humor for desert.

Track two "Missing My Baby" is more likely what Matt intended when he wanted to create country songs. In true Wordsworthian style, this song and many others on the album try to keep the common man’s issues at hand, rarely leaving the realm of natural insight, love, pain and pleasure. This song clearly takes the quaint scenario of a regular guy and shows the complexity of life.

With "American Border 109" we enter into the voyeuristic aspect of the album. Many of us listening to Johnny Cash’s murder songs have greatly enjoyed taking pleasure and suspending our judgement upon morally base individuals. I think Matthew has successfully created a song like this. It is a joy to join Matthew in this track and others, as he runs away with a woman, beats up bullies, sets fires to sacred places etc.

We get a folk sound in "The Riddle Sound," which is a great pleasure to my ears. In this song, quite hidden form anyone who has not heard Matthew’s earlier music, we get the pleasure of Matthew using all his skill. Past songs from the very beginnings of his musical career surface in many forms -notably the cello-bow guitar and the triumphant drums. The greatest joy these songs always bring me is that they are flag markers to a future album some day when every song will be of the same kind. This song is the secret gem you will one day, years after owning the album, discover with surprise that you never realized how amazing it was all along- mainly due to its intentional short length; Matthew successfully sneaks it in as a country track and plants a seed that will take years to grow in anticipation of that great album in the future...

"Northern Ontario Johnny Cash Stereo" is quite intentionally named, as a tribute and footnote for Matthew’s gratitude to Cash. Though the song in itself is more in debt to Buck 65, it works well as a hat tip to those who have influenced Matthew the most. I think it is the most ‘country’ sounding song of the album. With this track Matthew becomes, in my eyes, a successful country song writer.

Ah... "Alcobrawlic" I wonder if you listeners out there enjoy that song title? This song is another perfect example of Matthew’s voyeuristic creativity. Just like in the great poet Robert Browning’s "Prophyria’s Lover," the listener gets to enjoy how the immorality of one individual can bring about benefits for others.

"So Long (As I’m Living)" brings us back again to the ‘country’ in this country album, adding the positive note that it raises the listener’s mental idea of what the ‘country’ in a country album should be, and it’s a great story to boot. Though a reviewer should never involve or allow his personal feelings to affect his reviews, the best thing I can say about this song is that it sparks in me interest for country music (which could be an amazing compliment or just a simple note depending on who is reading).

"Jacob’s Ladder" starts the serious side of the album. Knowing Matthew’s view of what good art is and should do, it is interesting to see how this song attempts, and is successful, in ministering (to use a religious word) to the listener. Even on a first listen, to which one might not choose to hear the words of the song, it is clearly written musically to be a kind of balm for wounds, both emotional and spiritual.

It remains unclear which is the more notable success: creating a song of great healing, or having that intention return useful. I think this song is my #2 favorite.

With "There’s No Tomorrow and There’s No Turning Back" we again get back to the country-esque songs. I think in this instance Matthew has written some really great lyrics here: "All these songs and all these trees / Won’t someone pave it over please," which beside the fact that in near almost all political, religious and societal views Matthew and myself are allied, is a great critique of pop culture, the greatest aspect being that he uses the environmental motif to the morally good action (because not cutting down trees is so in right now! Save the animals![!!]).

"Let It Burn" continues the country sound and provides another voyeuristic adventure of a "man’s man" who refuses to give in and is reminiscent of Paul Newman in "Cool Hand Luke." I enjoyed so much, again, suspending judgement take sinful pleasure in becoming an outlaw and raving immense judgement and destruction on society for no reason other than because - www.ithacathemage.blogspot.com