Cold Revival is the title of the upcoming new solo album from Matt Turk, a singer-songwriter from Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. The irony of the album title is this album is anything but cold – it’s filled with 11 songs that are warm and embracing; emotional and yet never cloying. This is Turk’s fifth solo album (if I’m correct) since 1999 and this is damned fine stuff. Produced by film director David Dobkin (“Wedding Crashers”), the balance of sounds and vocals work beautifully. Everything about this album is quality – great, tasteful packaging that fits the album – it’s even divided as “Side 1” and “Side 2”.
Opening with a lilting mandolin strum, “Cracked Egg” turns sharply into a powerhouse of explosive drums and heartfelt singing – a great way to begin; “When A Boy” reminds me, at the opening, of Alex Chilton’s “All We Ever Got From Them Was Pain” – gentle, acoustic picking but with some very tasteful figures and then becomes a much more upbeat track with the right amount of organ punched in. The album’s title track, “Cold Revival” has a perfect country feel with restrained slide guitars, understated organ and strings; “Say You’ll Live” has a late-period R.E.M. feel, between its minor chords, mandolin and spoken word opening; however, it bursts into a dramatic, organ-driven piece – possibly the album’s standout. “Battle Song” is a wry shanty-like song about love gone to hell.
All in all, this album more than satisfies – Matt Turk is a fine singer, a quality songwriter and the players accompanying him hit the mark. Everything works here. And you can’t ask for more than that.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Cold Revival will be released on October 7th; pre-orders are being taken now on the website (below).
http://www.turktunes.com/index.html
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