Another from the excellent Black Hen Music label in Canada is the new album from Matt Patershuk, An Honest Effort and it’s more than keeping up with the rest of the top albums they have released this year. His easy-going baritone voice takes us through the opening track, Johanna. This is laid back Americana and about a lost woman who the narrator hopes gets lost in the best way that she can. This is followed by the intriguingly titled Jupiter The Flying Horse, a wistful, gentle and lovely Americana tale of a circus horse falling in love. We get some harmony in the chorus courtesy of Keri Latimer, harmonica added by Fats Kaplin and minimal lead guitar from Steve Dawson, the latter two having already featured heavily in my reviews this year, over an acoustic backdrop from Matt. There is no increase in pace as Matt meanders through Sunny, although he doesn’t hold back lyrically on this tale of a woman who is trapped in a bad situation. At times you get the feeling that he is only singing to one person in the room. Jeremy Holmes adds mandolin to Turn The Radio Up, a phrase we’ve all used at one time. Matt has that gentle manner about him and Dawson’s electric guitar gives us the sharp to Matt’s smooth. There’s a little percussion too from Gary Craig as Matt reminisces what it was like when he was younger but that being older is ok too. Afraid To Speak Her Name is quite unique. It’s just Matt and guitars with Dawson all over it, hitting reverb and slide on his Weissenborn. It’s extremely slow with Matt adding a smoky vocal to the few lyrics that there are and dispensing with a chorus altogether.
1.3 Miles brings us fiddle and banjo from Kaplin on this rhythmic Alt-Country feelgood tale. Latimer is back on harmony vocals for the story which starts out with Matt shooting at a coyote who was trying to kill his cats. The bullet parted the coyote’s hair but a round like that can go on for 1.3 miles so it then went on to just miss a mother sparrow and finally dropped to the ground on the spot where one of his neighbours had lost his wedding ring. He was looking for it with a magnet but gold is not attracted to a magnet so it was the bullet that was picked up and there was the ring beside it. Another great story. He’s on the Country side for Stay With Me and despite its lack of pace, has a bit of a barroom feel. Where are his influences, I hear you ask? Well, it’s difficult to tell but Hank Williams obviously to start with. He gives it a classic Country vocal as Kaplin returns on harmonica and Holmes comes through on upright bass. Latimer’s backing is subtle this time in keeping with the subject matter and lyrics such as “Stay with me ‘til the light grows dim”. It’s a song about his father and about dying. Here’s a title for you; The 2nd Law Of Thermodynamics. There was a first one apparently on a previous album and you know I’m going to dig it out now. It’s just Matt and Kaplin’s banjo to begin with before acoustic guitar, Latimer’s sweet voice and Holmes’ mandolin gradually join in. He likes dark and obscure lyrics at times and he’s straight to the point at others. At all times however, he’s a 21st century Americana man. Slide acoustic is well played by Dawson and everything is done in Matt’s inimitable gentle style. It’s a song about the randomness of the universe, all done in 4 minutes. The horse theme comes through again on Clever Hans, one about horse who could do tricks like counting (add, subtract, multiply), although you sometimes have to ask him the question in his native German. He’s still in that gentle Country vibe with his baritone voice over acoustic and electric guitars from him and Steve. Just sit back and listen, it’s that kind of song. It’s a lovely song and he is a lovely wordsmith. From a title such as Shane MacGowan you’d be expecting a rollicking mess of a song. But no, it’s about Shane’s new teeth! Matt has certainly done his research and delivers a clever and humorous lyric. He also throws in a few notes on the accordion to augment lap steel fills from Dawson. It talks about Shane picking up radio stations through the magnetic pegs in his mouth as well as him letting you touch his gold tooth but only if you are quick enough as he still bites. The final track, Upright, has Kaplin flitting in and out on banjo with acoustic guitar for company. We didn’t get a fast one after all but I’m not complaining as the quality throughout has been spectacular. Latimer returns on backing vocal for this funereally slow, melancholy yet happy song with memories of his mother or perhaps his grandmother? Any way, it’s very easy to listen to and the lyric draws you in.
As a song writer he can hold his own with the likes of Prine, Kristofferson and Earle and as a performer he must surely now catch the notice of a far larger audience. An Honest Effort? That’ll do for me.
Proceeds of the record will go to Horse Lake First Nation School.