MATT MITCHELL & THE COLDHEARTS
“MATT MITCHELL & THE COLDHEARTS”
Album Review by Chris Palmer
8/10
The talents of Matt Mitchell should be familiar to those of you who dip into the Hard Rock scene regularly. The English singer/songwriter has been extremely productive in recent years, as he’s been involved with the bands Pride, Furyon, and Colour Of Noise.
Furyon was formed out of the demise of Pride. The group of musicians offered a much heavier sound than Pride, and the band received much praise from the likes of Metal Hammer and Classic Rock Magazines. After the release of Furyon’s second album, the band was put on ice and Matt teamed up with Bruce John Dickinson [ex-Little Angels Guitarist] to form the Blues-Rock outfit Colour Of Noise.
Matt had a good run with Colour Of Noise, before the band left things on a high in 2017, thus opening a door for the singer/songwriter to explore the option of a new solo project together with guest musicians. Thus, Matt Mitchell & The Coldhearts was formed and the self-titled debut was released in April this year.
To be honest, I’ve been a fan of Matt Mitchell’s style of singing ever since I first heard him on Furyon’s self-titled debut EP back in 2015 and have followed his path ever since. When Rob from Stampede Press dropped this new album into my inbox, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to review it, and what a cracker it is!
The album has a total running time of 45 minutes, 59 seconds and contains twelve tracks. Each track combines strong melodies, together with Hard and Soft Rock moments. Each song contains a style and personality of its own, yet never detracting from the overall character and quality of the album. The musicianship is tight and first-class, as would be expected from a list of players consisting of Matt Mitchell [Vocals & Guitars], Mauro Laconi [Guitars], Dom Ladd [Bass], Matt Cherry [Drums], and Stevie Watts [Keyboards]. The album includes additional instruments throughout, such as Cello [Lidia Alonso], Trumpet [Robert Cobb], and Lap Steel [Francois Deville], all added together to offer variety and entertaining music.
Album opener, “Black Diamonds”, is a stomping Hard Rocker that’ll get you in the mood right off the bat. “Home” slows the momentum down a little but does contain some wonderful vocal sections and neat guitar-play. The dial is turned back up as you rock out to the addictive “On & On”, before Matt “Dares You To Watch” as he puts on a superb vocal display throughout this number that touches on mental health issues, in particular, OCD. The romantic “Kings & Queens” comes next and is a beautiful piece of light Rock which sets you up for the heavier “Unavailable”. Matt says that this song is about making the right decisions, so… make the right decision and give it a listen!
The second half of the album begins with the superb “Do You Wanna Be My God”, before the mellow “Old Enough & Ugly Enough” rolls along bringing an air of sadness with it. The album moves on, letting go of the negative with the arrival of “Wave Goodbye” which, at five minutes in length, is the longest number on the album and offers good melodies and excellent guitar-play throughout. “Everything To You” arrives next and is swiftly followed by penultimate number “Keep Me Safe”, which has Matt sharing his dream and vulnerability. The album closes with “Waiting For The Sun”, a song for a new day, a hope for change, a rocking number to finish this fine album with.
Overall, this self-titled debut album sees Matt Mitchell continuing his impressive form in the Hard Rock scene. The album offers a good variety of styles and soundscapes that keep the listener drawn in. Each song has its own personality which contribute towards making this excellent album flow fluently. Yet another excellent addition to Matt Mitchell’s catalogue of albums.
TRACKLIST
Black Diamonds
Home
On & On
Dare You To Watch
Kings & Queens
Unavailable
Do You Wanna Be My God
Old Enough & Ugly Enough
Wave Goodbye
Everything To You
Keep Me Safe
Waiting For The Sun
http://www.mattmitchellmusic.com/
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