This week I was a bit desperate. No new album hit me. I’ve discovered a lot of artists, but nobody had a new album to talk about.
A good solution when I want news, is to go to the social page of my friend Matt and inform me about what concerts he went to see. Usually, among many I already know, I always find some new ones.
It happened again this time. In a live bar in Henriette, Minnesota posted some videos of the concert of this artist completely unknown to me: Matt Pudas.
I was struck by the sounds and the hoarse voice and of course I immediately searched for his music on streaming services. I investigated as a private investigator looking for biography and career news.
So I find out that Pudas has been the leader and frontman for more than 20 years of one of the most legendary bands in Minnesota: the White Iron Band. A group that has run far and wide across the state, but also the rest of the Midwest. With 7 albums of wild country rock, full of melodies and stories to tell (and I confess that sooner or later I will try to talk about them.)
The band has opened shows by leading artists for years: Lynyrd Skynyrd, Warren Haynes, Charlie Daniels, Shooter Jennings. A name therefore that the insiders had not escaped.
After years and years of life on the road, in 2020 the good Matt decides to move to Atlanta, Georgia with his family and there everything changes.
The original band has therefore remained in stand-by, but founds another where he will be the reference solo artist and will continue to be what he has always been: a great country rock singer, a great songwriter and an independent musician with bows. His old band is still joined by guitarist Sam Weyandt.
The album consists of 10 pieces ranging from country to rock, emotions of true stories furrowed by so much electricity and even a little soul in the choirs.
Press play and the single Alcohaulin’ will take you with its pulsating rhythm, choruses and the intense and enveloping voice of Pudas.
A ’70s southern rock flavour comes from the speakers, it will be the excellent work of Chad Staehly’s keyboards, who also produced the album, or the fantastic slide solo, but it seems to me very influenced by that sound. Beautiful.
The next Time Bomb is a ride of electric guitar and pedal-steel, a bit blues rock a bit outlaw country, but the voice of Matt Pudas is one of the secrets.
You can see that he mastered the role after singing for years in a legendary band.
Rosalita is a wonderful ballad, where once again the singing is intense and shows that it is suitable for both rock racing that to slow down and watch the stars and the sky with romance.
A piece that, nostalgic of the old days, I imagine to a nice live with all the lighters and the choirs that are the background make even more beautiful the picture that I imagined. The solo at the end enriches a beautiful piece.
The next track is one of my favorites, Get My Fill is blues with its harmonica and guitar, but it also has a rock soul with the voice of Pudas so roca and powerful.
A song that we could define southern rock, exciting and powerful.
I love the sound of the harmonica and Matt Pudas plays it great!
Another ballad, this time very country with the violin taking the stage, Iowa Song is another piece in which the voice takes the stomach with the melancholy that the violin brings with it.
You don’t need frills or big arrangements to write a song that excites hearts and Pudas does it very well.
Honky tonk and desire to dance and move, here comes 5 Star Dive Bar. Powerful voice and pedal-steel hurtling in a wild piece that live will make many “victims”. In addition, the title is a dedication to the legendary Ryders Saloon of Henrietta, Minnesota that also hosted the live where Matt made me discover it.
The pedal-steel solo that crosses with the violin solo is pure beauty, nothing is invented, but the country lessons of the 70s have been assimilated to the great. Beautiful! The choirs will eventually put a strain on the vocal chords of the audience who will go to his concerts.
The title-track is a beautiful country song with an ancient flavor, as I told you this artist masters the electricity of country rock and southern, but when you slow down with his voice and his songwriting gives us really exciting songs.
I want to repeat Matt Pudas has a crazy voice and in Working On Me proves it.
Who said wild rock? Almost as if to break the emotional tension of the previous one, the guitars start off with a ’50s boogie riff and Would You Be Mine starts. It speeds, it runs and if I can make a comparison without being blasphemous, reminded me of the songs and mood of the great Chuck Berry, as well as the guitar solos.
The work ends with another country ballad, pedal-steel and great voice: Simple Times. True life stories and a lot of passion, a beautiful poem that I hope will win many hearts.
A truly remarkable solo debut, Matt Pudas brings the experience of his legendary band (which I recommend you go and discover) and puts a lot more meat on the fire. It juggles great on the streets of country, blues and rock and gives us some songs that deserve to be among the most beautiful this year. A voice among the most exciting that I have discovered lately and that I hope will continue to produce beautiful records like this.
Good listening,
Trex Willer by http://www.ticinonotizie.it
(in Ticino Notizie web site you can find original italian version of this article)
