the welcome matt

Matt Langlois has found the secret to truly personable songwriting, a fact evident throughout his band's latest release, Right Outside Your Door. Both lyrically and vocally, this fourth effort from the SF group is startlingly sincere, and instantly accessible.

Langlois is a storyteller at heart and emotes with a clarity and honesty that so many frontmen lack. The upbeat opener, "Longing" lays his signature vocals over a memorable, playful riff, while the superb "Painkillers" takes it slow. The offbeat cheeriness of "The Tipping Point" and catchy social commentary of "Politicians," too, round out the album's charm. "Normal Life," however, is the absolute standout, with a chorus evoking the Beatles circa Rubber Soul and verses all their own.

The precision in which The Welcome Matt presents both melody and sentiment is a rare find indeed, and this new release is more assuredly one to look into.

- Gabrielle Goodbar - the owl mag

Right Outside Your Door, by The Welcome Matt is an album that begs you to turn your radio up. The fourth release from bay-area frontman Matt Langlois is filled with enough melodic pop-rock material to warrant repeated hip-shaking. The music is dominated by overdriven power chords and a strong foot on the kick drum. The instrumentation and arrangements are lean but frenzied.

By now The Welcome Matt has shaken out any amateur bugs, and created a product that is refined and crafty. Matt has obviously worked hard to ensure that each song has its own character. You won't be tired of this one, by the end of the album.

The Welcome Matt's sound can be characterized as a little Ray Davies, a little Cake, and a little Supergrass. Each verse reminds me of the sounds of a particular alt-rock giant, yet each chorus is unmistakably Matt's creation. Every chorus breaks a little bit more ground and move a little further beyond the expectations of the typical rock anthem.

Let's face it. There are hundreds of talented rock musicians on the scene today that crank the gain, and overwhelm us with their chops. What sets The Welcome Matt above all those other bands is the ability to write a good song. This album has 13 good ones!

Chad Dukes
Indiemusicstop.com
- Indie-Stopmusic.com

Resurrecting Shannon Hoon’s velvety harmonies to guide pop’s light into a sleepy night, The Welcome Matt produces an intriguing thing of pure emotion with his second release, Empire Days. Sumptuously gliding vocals that not only slide easily off the tongue but also have something to say, paired superbly with a lilting minimalist musical construction, make for a record daring you to pass it by. Drifting somewhere between Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy and Bob Dylan, Matt Langlois has mastered a sense of lyrical spacing and rasping and dreamy opinion to produce an album so perversely alluring, it’s nearly obscured by its own charm.

Flipping sounds as effortlessly as a Vegas dealer his cards, The Welcome Matt simultaneously defies the singer-songwriter stigma and fills the niche so well it attains an entirely fresh plane of existence. From the silky deep echoes of “do you think you’re getting closer to the middle of your heart” tied up in the pop melodies of “Intro” to the lush vocal mechanics of a gorgeous duet in “Love Too Much,” The Welcome Matt proves his sound original and attractive. Just as versatile in lyrical content as his delivery, Langlois offers no with equally excellent instrumental composition. reservations with his political/social commentaries in “Seed Song” and “When We Sleep.” At the same time though, he’s not adverse to singing about things slightly lighter, like love [etc.] and even the random “chocolate shooting star.”

The Welcome Matt doesn’t shy away from catchy hooks either; his “In San Francisco” sounds like a male Sheryl Crow. Whether poppy or pensive, it’s evident Langlois is cheeky enough to match excellent lyrics
- Genevieve Will

"Empire Days"
It may sound a little strange, but when I first listened to this album, the first thing that popped into my mind was the catchphrase from the old 7-Up commercials...you know the one, where the Caribbean dude says "Crisp and Clean with no caffeine hah hah hah." No, there's not a hint of islandness in this release...but it is crisp and clean and, while it's got a punch - it's not over exuberant or jittery - so, no caffeine.
The Welcome Matt is primarily Matthew Langlois, a New Englander who has relocated to San Francisco. The left coast politics are all over the place...from the album's title through the last tune. But people from all political persuasions can certainly enjoy Matt's music that sounds familiar while not sounding like anything you've heard before. The songwriting is great, the arrangements are minimal but not missing anything and the performances from everyone from Langlois to drummer Matt Boudreau to Michael Romanowski on bass to everyone else I don't have the space to mention here is almost perfect.
Get this album today so you can say "I knew them before they were stars."
- Mike Rephone

It is a rare day I listen to an album over and over again but this happened when listening to The Welcome Matt "Empire Days". Produced by Matt Langlois and Matt Boudreau, songs written by Matt Langlois, with the cd artwork a magical story within itself. Lyric sheet not included but that makes you really listen. Mastering by Michael Romanowski. Recorded at Broken Radio - Emeryville, CA.
"Do you think you're getting closer to the middle of your heart?" begins an escapade of lyrical songwriting creativity with steady, pure, crisp production and performance by San Francisco's Matt Langlois of WelcomeMattMusic.com. Matt's storyteller voice inspires one to extend their attention span beyond 3 songs - 16 total songs, sleuths of words and music....hints of John Lennon, Jeff Buckley, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, and friends gathering in the living room. Matt's journey into "Empire Days" travels through moods of an intellectual pop, rock, blues and world beat "balanced" into a smooth groove laden cd. Soft styled voice of Matt's wakes up, emoting to the edge of passion in the sensitive "Rainwater" and "Love Too Much". Guitars, backing instruments are creatively mixed in each track - I was surprised at the spontaneous feel of a studio production - harmonies, layered fluidity....The Welcome Matt has tapped into something and I hope a lot more comes out. 16 Tracks of note - I recommend 5*****'s to this album - songs that linger: Chocolate Shooting Star, 110%; A Rise and Fall Part I (which continues with snippets throughtout the music), Obstacle Course, Empire Days, "What are we going Do?", Seed Song, Rainwater....Hey, that's the whole album. - Toni K.
- Toni K