LP Review: "Dancing On Your Grave" by The Matinee

Dancing On Your Grave

This morning on the way into the office, The Nerdist Podcast was playing in my car. As is his wont, Chris Hardwick was talking to a musician and he was giving his thoughts on the psychology of Americans and why we love what songs we do.

One of Hardwick's common refrains is that we tie experiences to music.

So, let's go full disclosure on the sophomore release by British Columbia's, The Matinee.

This past weekend, your friend and humble narrator was finally able to ditch his conventional engined Honda Civic for a new (to him) Toyota Prius.

Yup. After years of wishing and months of research, I became a hybrid car owner and the feeling of smugness has only been wiped off by the loaner car that was handed to me while they fix up the Prius.

The Matinee

My old car had been parting out for the past eighteen months and one of the first casualties was the CD player.

So, it was only fitting to "test" the new CD player right? Well, as it so happened, I had the review copy of Dancing On Your Grave in my Totoro messenger bag.

My daughter and I cranked this CD and we rocked out. Let me say, this is the best way to check out a new band by the way...on your maiden voyage in a new car.

The Matinee is a new band from America's Hat. Unfortunately describing them would be a lot like catching Sirius Black after his escape from Azkaban.

They have an ability to mold themselves to the song they are writing. The variety here is strong. There's a smattering of genre bending in these uptempo tracks.  Dancing On Your Grave is in the middle of a venn diagram showing country, (North) Americana, and straight up classic rock.

That's what makes this album so great. It's more than here's our country song, but here's a banjo and a Hammond Organ on our country song.

It's truly a feel good album because that's how these powerful songs will make you feel. In troubling times we turn to music to help and the fact that The Matinee may very well be singing about our unavoidable demise, but they make it sound like such a great time will be had.

Release: 2/17/17
Genre: ???
Label: Light Organ
Formats: CD/Digital
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