Matt Sever approaches songcraft with the life-or-death attention to detail required in the former day job that spawned his performing moniker. His 10th album recaps the six 7-inch singles he recorded with guest artists alongside a second disc of his current trio’s renditions of the same songs. “Mountains,” particularly the single version, is the big standout, driven by stunning harmonies from Stephanie Macias, dramatic pauses, and a naturalist’s gift for description, which summon an idyllic Laurel Canyon vibe. “I Cannot Read Your Mind” encapsulates the mourning of disconnection, and a cover of Paul Simon’s “American Tune” casts new light on an old standard. It’s almost enough to transport you back to the patio at Flipnotics on a warm spring night.
This article appears in August 18 • 2017.
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Greg Beets was born in Lubbock on the day Richard Nixon was elected president. He has covered music for the Chronicle since 1992, writing about everyone from Roky Erickson to Yanni. Beets has also written for Billboard,Uncut, Blurt, Elmore, and Pop Culture Press. Before his digestive tract cried uncle, he co-published Hey! Hey! Buffet!, an award-winning fanzine about all-you-can-eat buffets.
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