While his last studio album came out during the pandemic, this new one opens with a song addressing that time, and the way forward from it. “Into The Light” begins with these lines: “Dark clouds pass across the sun/Suddenly the world has changed for everyone/And each day outside my window sill/The streets outside are quiet and still/Feels like this could last forever/‘Cause it’s the same day with different weather.” Oh yes, that was 2020 and into 2021. But then the steel drum comes in, a cue that things are improving, and Matt Smith sings, “Oh, out on my own/No longer alone/Not stuck at home.” Here he looks forward to looking backward at this time. The song takes on a celebratory, joyful sound as he sings about no longer being stuck at home. Steel drums and flute add to that cheerful sound, as do the backing vocals. “We’re finally here.” On this track, Matt Smith’s band is made up of Ernie Durawa on drums, Mark Epstein on bass, David Webb on keys, Aaron Lack on percussion and backing vocals, and Joe Morales on flute. Ange Kogutz, Terri David, Joseph Reese and Mark Klentzman provide backing vocal work. This song has a delicious rhythm, and I love how it ends with a drum solo. Then the drums begin the next track, “Why Can’t We Have A Good Time,” which features the same band backing him, with Joe Morales on saxophone for this one. This song was written by Matt Smith and Mark Epstein, and it includes elements of funk and pop. “Let’s keep on dancing anyway/Just forget the lessons learned/Let’s keep on dancing while the whole world burns.” This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. Things are completely screwed up out there, but our time is still short, and so can we be blamed for wanting to just enjoy ourselves? There is a line somewhere, I suppose, between dedicating our lives to solving the world’s serious problems and letting it all go and just enjoying ourselves. This song has a delicious groove, and features some really nice stuff on keys, as well as a great lead on electric guitar toward the end. These first two tracks were recorded in Austin.
Then on “Still Not Dead,” Matt Smith is backed by the other group of musicians: Tony Perrino on keys, Pete Sweeney on drums, Brian Melick on percussion, Chris Peck on bass, and Charlie Tokarz on saxophone. And on this track, they are joined by Tony Gambaro on trumpet. The horn section is a big part of this track’s appeal. These musicians recorded in Saratoga, New York. “Well, no one ever said life was easy/But why’s it got to be so hard/The trials and tribulations keep coming/You don’t get this far without a few scars/And the cold wind keeps on blowing/Somehow we keep on going.” This song has a positive bent, as Matt Smith reminds us that we’re not dead. Hell, sometimes that’s about all we can say, and sometimes that is enough. Besides, as long as we’re still kicking, things could improve just around the next bend, and that groove seems to urge us to dance to that next bend. “Find the joy in what life brings you.” That same group of musicians plays on “Water Of Life” too. However, the backing vocalists who joined Matt Smith on the first track join him again here, along with Guy and Jeska Forsyth, and they deliver some fantastic work. Matt sings of water, “Source of danger, source of life,” and he repeats that line. It’s certainly a line that stands out these days even without being repeated, what with all the recent flooding in various parts of the country (and elsewhere, for that matter), and with the storms. This track has some cool, and prominent percussion, which feels just exactly right for the subject. This track also features some fantastic work on saxophone.
The opening lines of “Measure Of A Man” are ones we can all likely relate to: “Well, I’m trying to find a little peace of mind/In a world spinning out of control.” Ange Kogutz and Ian Campbell join Matt Smith on vocals on this track, and also co-wrote the song with him. The song’s main line, “The measure of a man is the tracks you leave behind,” reminds me of a line from “Everybody Wanna Do The Don’t” (from Being Human), “The only thing that matters is the tracks you leave behind.” There is a great energy to this song. Then “Make The Most Of Your Life” is part rock, part jazz as it begins, a cool instrumental introduction featuring saxophone. And there is a good dose of blues injected into the proceedings. The song’s opening line addresses something that has been on my mind a lot lately: “Well, life is short, so don’t go wasting your time.” It baffles me how people choose to use the terribly limited time they’re given. Think of all those people who have decided to follow a racist ex-game show host, some of them even going to prison for him. Do they honestly think that is the best use of their time? And think of all the time people waste on social media sites. “So keep your thoughts to yourself, but keep an open mind/And everyone’s different, but we’re so much the same/And everyone’s playing, so keep your eye on the game.” He stresses the brevity of it all further in this song, singing “So look to the future, don’t dwell on your past/Life goes by, it goes by in a flash.” This track has a cool instrumental section that features some good stuff on keys and guitar. “Make The Most Of Your Life” was written by Matt Smith and Tony Perrino.
“Possibility” features the first group of musicians, the musicians who took part in the Austin sessions. This one has more of a bright, fun vibe, apparent right from the start. It’s a song with a wonderfully positive bent. “My pockets were empty, but my spirits were high.” This track features great work on saxophone and keys, particularly during that instrumental section in the middle. What a good jam. “My Baby Likes To Ya Ya” also features that first group of musicians. And though it was recorded in Texas, it feels more like Louisiana as it begins, with that great rhythm. This is another fun number. It was written by Matt Smith, David Webb and Mark Epstein. There is a surprising change a minute and a half in, turning kind of smooth. That section features some wonderful work on piano and then on steel drums, before the saxophone takes over. Everything about this section is so delicious. And then suddenly we’re back into the main thrust of the song. The album’s last two tracks feature the second band. The first of those two, “A Change In Me,” is another energetic, positive number, with Matt singing, “We’re just getting started, baby.” And on “Life Ain’t Easy (And Then Ya Die),” Matt Smith returns to the theme of the brevity of life, singing “You’ve got to make the most of your time.” Guy and Jeska Forsyth join Ange Kogutz to provide good backing vocal work on this track, and Charlie Tokarz delivers strong work on saxophone.
CD Track List
- Into The Light
- Why Can’t We Have A Good Time
- Still Not Dead
- Water Of Life
- Measure Of A Man
- Make The Most Of Your Life
- Possibility
- My Baby Likes To Ya Ya
- A Change In Me
- Life Ain’t Easy (And Then Ya Die)
Into The Light was released on October 1, 2023.
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