Don’t let go / don’t let go / we can crawl / out of the shadows /
don’t let go /don’t let go / we can find our way / back home //
At Matthew Perryman Jones’ concert last Thursday evening, he played several songs from his upcoming CD, Swallow the Sea, including this one, Out of the Shadows, that I heard him play a couple weeks ago for the first time. The mixing of the new album, with Neilson Hubbard returning as producer, was finished last Friday, and it was sent out for mastering the beginning of the week. It is supposed to release sometime in early August, so keep an eye on Matthew’s MySpace page for more details as well as song samples and video footage from the studio.
About this time last year, at a benefit show put together by a friend of mine, Matthew was one of four musical acts. He had a great band with him that night, including Andy Osenga on guitars and Will Sayles on drums. But he started his set by walking out to the microphone in the middle of the stage by himself, plugging in his black electric guitar, and singing the old spiritual Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child while strumming a simple accompaniment pattern. To this day, that remains my favorite vocal I’ve ever heard from him. With the longing of a weary traveler, with pain and loneliness and hope all mixed together, Matthew sang, “Sometimes I feel like a motherless child / sometimes I feel like a motherless child / sometimes I feel like a motherless child / a long way from home // Why do I wander, why do I run, why do I wander, why do I run / why do I wander so far from home // Sometimes I feel like a motherless child / a long way from home,” ending in a crescendo of emotion. At his show Thursday, he played the version that has ended up on the album, what he said is his favorite track. It starts the same way as he did it a year ago, except strumming on an acoustic guitar instead of an electric, and by the second verse the band kicks in and builds and builds and builds, until by the end it is a wall of sound, enveloping you and echoing its message in your soul. (here’s a link to a video of another performance of it.)
I’ll post more details about the album as I hear them from Matthew.
That specific performance of Motherless Child is available to people who sign up at Matthew’s fan site: breakingoutthewindows.com
I loved that specific performance of that song as well… and just FYI, he cut that song on his record as well
Thanks, Paul. Have you put any photos from the sessions online anywhere, or are you all waiting until closer to the record release date?
Hey, Paul I thought you should know that I am giving away my new ep at http://www.arthuralligood.com Eric Peters sang on my last record. MPJ is amazing. Thanks for the link. Check out the music.