MAY 2008 ONLINE EDITORIALS

Matt Campbell & His Bottom Line Band - In the Town/The Other Side of Town

album cover

By Nathan Harper

Matt Campbell is a singer/songwriter with more than a little twang in his sound. To call it country would be too dismissive, and Americana doesn’t quite capture it either, because even when he’s playing with his Bottom Line Band, who are certainly no slouches themselves, it’s Campbell’s lyrics that are the driving force in his music, and fortunately he rarely disappoints.
His songs are memorable, hooks are relatable, and every now and then he drops a gem like, “Well this is crazy, tell me what would she want / Cause I’m a drifter, and she’s a debutant” from “Caught Out In the Rain.” That song, and 3 others make up the In the Town EP, a collection of songs that feature Campbell backed by his band, and either loving and leaving, or getting left by love, both to agreeable ends.
His straightforward guitar playing, both acoustic and electric, are backed nicely by Hammond organ, steel guitars and piano, at times evoking either a honky-tonk or the country side. The crisp production doing all parties justice without sacrificing clarity for ambience.
If the first half of the record is about life and heartbreak on wrong side of town, the three songs that make up The Other Side of Town EP bring the listener back from across the tracks, with Campbell offering more introspective lyrics as he plays alone with his acoustic guitar and occasional bits of harmonica.
It’s on these songs that the listener gets a feel for Campbell’s sort of every-man ideals, as he seeks to strike a balance between living an examined life while also trying not to make too damn big a deal out it either. His somberness feels real, a sense that even though he may be lonely at times, it comes with the realization that at least he’s got himself to get through this life with, and though this might sound like resignation to some, it’s also the words of a man who’s comfortable with himself regardless of what side of town he’s on.
The double EP came out earlier this year, and after a memorable Live at Lunch date on KRFC and a few Spring shows in New York, he can be heard at Avo’s on May 18th or online at myspace.com/mattcampbellmusic.