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Fateema Sayani, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Thursday, January 14, 2010
Matt Ouimet Leaves Only the Best Stuff
Matt Ouimet has a silly sense of humour, yet he can be frighteningly affecting, often in the same song. His second album, to be released this weekend, has his idiosyncrasies on full display. Titled Oh Jesus, the album is textured and layered, compared with his beachy, mellow debut, Silently.
The custom drum-kit builder, sideman and producer (Sarah Hallman, Jehan Khoorshed, Jack Pelletier) funnels his loaded observations into rockin'-pop songs.
He summons his winsome, lovelorn feelings on Country, stews over a rut on the title track and waxes silly and sweet on Afternoon with Wes, a song about babysitting bandmate Philip Shaw Bova's toddler son. "Will we still be friends when you're nine plus 10?" he asks, and sings, "You watch the tube like a convict in heat," with a steadying resonance.
In person, Ouimet is equal parts hyperbolic and assuring. We're in the attic studio above his Hintonburg apartment as he records vocals for Khoorshed's next album. The room is stacked with percussive instruments, a shelf of snare drums and keyboards. A dobro, jazz bass and ukulele hang on the wall. Ouimet sits in front of a laptop at a desk strewn with pencils, sticky notes, empty Stella cans and a kazoo.
Khoorshed, with his nose to the corner, croons easily into the mike, expertly unrolling a new song called So Long. "Don't throw away the low note," Ouimet instructs. They begin the take again with a quick directive: "OK, now be emotive."
Everyone laughs, except for Ouimet. He's serious about the process. Busting any romanticized myths about inspiration, he prefers a practical approach. "You could probably write a song a day, and then figure out how to write a good song every four days."
From there, it's just a process of elimination that leaves only the best stuff.
- Ottawa Citizen
Discography
"Silently" Matt Ouimet 2009.
"Oh Jesus" Matt Ouimet 2010.
“Likely” Sarah Hallman 2009 Co-Producer, multi-instruments.
“Friends and Lovers” Jack Pelletier and the Battle of Ontario 2010 (tbr) Co-Producer, Bass - BGVocals – Acoustic Guitar – Percussion.
“Spoils of Failure” Buried Inside 2009 Engineer.
“Into Corners” The Withering Pines 2009 Drums and Bass.
“Heavy Heart” Elise Von Teichman 2009 Producer (4tracks) engineer, mixer, all instruments.
“Jehan Khoorshed” Jehan Khoorshed 2009 multi-instruments
“Second Chances” Steve Judd 2009 keyboards
Photos
Bio
Beachy Pop Music that is Smart, with Clever Lyrics, Catchy Melodies and a Voice that blends complexity with honesty.
Matt Ouimet has made a name for himself as session player, engineer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist for many local bands over many years (a list that reads as a who’s who in the Ottawa scene).
The list of people he works with grows quickly every month: from playing and recording with hyper-poppers the Hilotrons (happymatic), to engineering Relapse Records dead heavy rockers Buried Inside, to recording, playing, and co-producing Sarah Hallman’s newest release “likely”, Matt is a musical force that isn’t loosing momentum.
There are no gimmicks in Ouimet’s songs; they are harmonic vehicles built on honesty, combining country style, pop arrangements and jazz progressions. Matt will use complex instrumentation or bare simplicity to serve the emotion and groove of the moment.
“Matt Ouimet on “Oh Jesus” sounds like Brian Wilson fronting Wilco” says Dick Altavista of CKCU FM, you will find yourself seduced by music that is deceptively simple until you try to figure it all out! “the guy can pen a crafty, kooky lyric, and plays interesting things... I reckon this guy is a proper nutter,” says fan Hawksley Workman, CdBaby has noted a “Daniel Lanois-meets-Brian Wilson gauze” and industry journalist T. Bruce Wittet observes, “Matt sees wide. He senses what other people don't sense and he hears what dogs can't hear…. He's good; he's an old soul in a young body… He's not Gandhi but he's ear candy.”
When fronting his own band it’s easy to see Matt’s command of music and his love of playing. He favors his father & son rhythm section backing him up. Philip Victor Bova (bass) and Philip Shaw Bova (drums) own and operate Bova Sound and Sage Electronics in Ottawa Canada, they are a great match to Matt’s musical and recording geakiness. Ouimet and the Bova’s are often hired as a back up band for local players, with Matt handling the accessory (guitar, lapsteel, keyboards) players chair.
With talent like his Ouimet is sure to gain much success in the music industry.
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