Matt Woods

Matt woods skipped out on his senior year of college and graduation at Auburn University to jump-start his music career in Nashville. Still only 21 years of age, Woods, proves he is a contender with Something Surreal. Falling into that mixed bag of pop/rock that includes Matchbox 20 and Fuel, Woods provides the voice behind the songs of friend and producer Chris Sevier. Highlights of the album include Offering, with sounds kind of like U2s With or Without You but with a jacked-up, power-chord chorus as well as Blow Away, both of which stick to the simple lyrics, toned-down verse and power chorus formula representative of the genre. - vol. 20 (May/June 2005) - American Songwriter

If you have a yen for the adult oriented rock so popular in the colleges in North America, then this is the CD for you. Working in the same idiom as Counting Crows, Matchbox 20 and the Barenaked Ladies, young buck Matt Woods has the voice and the songs to lift him up the ladder. His debut album, Something Surreal is chock full of radio friendly anthems , any of which would sit happily on a US teen angst TV show soundtrack with Bottled Up Inside going all John Mayer on your ass, and the driving power pop of Gone is just made for listening to in the car, driving down some long, lonesome highway, a sweet young thang at your side and an angry father with a shotgun on your tail. I can think of no reason why Mr. Woods wont be a huge star he has talent and youth hes even a bit of a rough edged pretty boy, so the evil emteevee would take to him like a shot. Now all we need is a windswept video for Hiding with lots of deep meaningful glances to camera, and itll be a shoo in. Ridiculously good. - Zeitgeist Magazine

Matt Woods has a great soulful voice! His songs are solid, the production is good, and other reviews are quite positive. There are 20 songs on this debut (of which 8 are acoustic versions of tracks). We?ve been listening to ?Something Surreal? once daily for two straight weeks now. Here?s what we think: The CD starts out really strong and ends strong. Matt Woods? style reminds us a little of what an American Del Amitri would sound like. There are moments when we also hear a little Matchbox 20 influence. Highlights: ?Misconception? (both regular & acoustic versions), ?Lyndal? (both regular & acoustic versions), ?Never Too Late? (both regular & acoustic versions), ?Dream? (both regular & acoustic versions), ?Gone? (acoustic version), ?Blow Away? (acoustic version), ?Bottled Up Inside? (acoustic version), ?Hiding? (acoustic version), and ?All About Her? (acoustic version). We do have to add that we prefer music that is a bit more unique but nevertheless, this is a very pleasing effort... just ask his legions of fans on MySpace. - Babble and Beat

Matt Woods provides some very catchy power pop on this debut release. Certainly fans of "So Long, Astoria" era Ataris, and Yellowcard will find a lot to like here. "Misconception" and "Life Flashes" are two of the standout moments on this very enjoyable album. If you enjoy acoustic and electric guitar filled rock and roll, you will find this project to indeed be 'something surreal!' (James Morovich)
From Phantom Tollbooth... July Issue - Phantom Tollbooth

Adult-alternative rock singer/songwriter Matt Woods displays a flair for the dramatic on Something Surreal, an explosive, multi-guitar driven collection that would sound just as intense if he were simply strumming his acoustic to a small circle of friends. Woods muscular rhythm section inflates his catchy melodies and clever, earnest lyrics into areana rock proportion. If you go on farther than the first three cuts; the John Mayer-ish Bottled Up Inside, the go-for-broke fervor of Misconception, and the metal grandeur of Lyndall hes already scaled more heights than most Top-40 artists do on one disc. The neo-psychedelic Sus-chorus intro to Hiding and the pure power pop of Gone show Matt Woods keen capacity to shift gears without losing his identity. Is bigger better? In Woods case the answer is a definite yes. - Minor 7th Magazine

Singer/songwriter Matt Woods must be a busy man. I imagine his day is filled with decisions about what products hell lend his name to and what advertisements hell make. After all hes got to be commercially successful to a ridiculous level right? Oh but he hasnt hit the mainstream yet. The second that he does hell be blessed with all of the fame and Benjamins that come with it-the trick is that when write songs as genuine and sincere as this, you know that it wont get to the head of the artist. Good job and I look forward to the follow-up and the burgeoning success! - Smother Magazine

Image Barenaked Ladies doing simple acoustic rock songs and you would have a good idea of what the songs on this release by Matt Woods sounds like. The music is catchy, the lyrics are intelligent and the vocals are great. While every song is wonderful, my favorites are “Gone” and “Dream”. I have to say that you rarely find a release of this caliber on an indie record label. This release is definitely worth checking out. -- Mite Mutant (2007) - Chicken Fish Speaks

Alot of singer/songwriters are a dime a dozen. (see Tim Mahoney) This one is about as far from that group as you can get. Matt Woods is not only a great songwriter with some catchy tunes, but he is also a great guitarist. There are a few solos on this album that will really grab you. A wonderfully produced album. I can't get enough of it. Buy it right now and support the small guy! 6 stars out of 5, it's that good! (******)(JL) - All Ages Zine