Strap on your overalls and pull the masks down, crooks. ‘s has a solo track he left unattended and no one is looking. Steal it! Do it!
Last year, with the release of “,” Strange Americans became a stand-out Denver Americana band in a scene crowded with Americana bands wanting to stand out. They did so without novelty, just solid country-tinged rock music that translates equally as well live as on record. Now, multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Matt Hoffman has stepped forward on his own, releasing the EP “Lateral Moves.”
Not sure if it’s intentional, but this EP is a lateral move for Hoffman. The five-song collection, on which he plays almost every instrument, could be a Strange American’s record, except here the music is less dense and more subtle. This allows Hoffman’s voice to take center stage. And man, it deserves it. His vocals carry such a depth of experience and feet-in-the-dirt honesty while remaining gorgeously melodic. And lyrically, he’s literary without being pretentious, while also folky without being hokey. It’s a sonorous tension.
Check out the video and download for “Mural” below and note the stellar use of a “Oh” chorus. When used well, Oh’s and Ah’s and Ho-hey’s (looking at you, ) in songs can really get a listener stirred up. He uses this often and well on this album, as with Strange Americans.
Hoffman will officially release his album with a performance at on Saturday at 9 pm. is opening.
Please note that downloads offered via Steal This Track are intended to whet your appetite, and are NOT CD-quality recordings. If you want those, please support the artists by buying their music and/or seeing them live.
If you’re a band or musician ready to expose your fresh sounds to the readers of Reverb, email your tracks — along with any interesting facts about them, as well as a photo or album art — to Steal This Track for consideration.
Josh Johnson is a Denver freelance writer and Reverb contributor. He is also a co-host/co-producer of the Denver podcast . He’s also a journeyman butcher. Seriously.
