Sound Salvation Army

Listening to Northcote’s latest album is kind of like listening to the first solo record Sarah Harmer put out some 12 years ago. There’s something about back-porch acoustic guitar song craft that just feeds the soul. It’s comforting, it puts a smile on your face. Is it groundbreaking? No. Quite the opposite, I suppose: it’s built on a very solid footing.

Matt Goud has been around the block a few times. His recent acoustic guitar-slinging folk project has previously produced a flawless EP, Borrowed Chords and Tired Eyes, that perfectly sets the stage for this full length effort. Like that previous recording the songs here are built around Goud’s steady acoustic chords, sometimes bashed out like he’s playing to the rafters, sometimes strummed at a barely audible level. The EP was notable for it’s extremely deft use of subtle percussion and less-subtle horns that helped prop up his wonderfully sturdy vocal melodies and that aspect of his songs certainly hasn’t changed. If anything, Goud is expanding his sonic palette in a very logical way here.

For me the high points lie primarily in the more energetic numbers. On the EP it was those songs that really grabbed me; while not necessarily “upbeat” they’re the songs that are more fully-orchestrated, tracks like “Energy” and “Wheels” that are fantastically fleshed-out bedroom songs that really found their teeth in the studio. There are a number of tracks in a similar vein on Gather No Dust, such as first single “Free Tonight.” Like a few other numbers here Goud’s band is fully fleshed-out in the in the traditional rock band sense, adding electric guitar, bass, and a full drum kit to the mix. It’s got a propulsive rock and roll energy that pairs exquisitely with Goud’s world-weary voice, which may not be silky-smooth or studio-polished, but has an immense depth of character and feeling. “The Beat” and “Battle” follow in a similar vein while “Devils” is carried by one of the most fantastic drum beats I’ve ever heard on a primarily folk/acoustic record.

The heart of the record and perhaps the heart of Goud himself is reflected most clearly in the album’s gentlest number, the patient “Not A Home.” Practically a lullaby at it’s core, the song features Goud cleanly strumming an electric guitar and opining on the very nature of humanity and finding comfort in the choices you make in your life. Less a chorus than a mantra, the song’s last 45 seconds consist of him repeating over and over, “Some people have your heart and the wind has got your soul/but a place is not a home.” Accompanied by his sweetest and most reassuring melody yet, the sentiment makes sense for a songwriter who has relocated from Saskatchewan’s plains to Victoria, BC.

While Goud may be far from “home” he retains the spirit of a prairie philosopher. “Take The Ride” boasts the kind of optimism some people can only dream of as he gleefully exhales, “Tonight feels as wide as a prairie night.” The song and Goud’s lyrical spirit still seem to be informed by that landscape; perhaps that’s why this set of songs feels so at home in my stereo.

 

 Northcote - Free Tonight: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Northcote - Not A Home [2:07m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Gather No Dust is available from Black Box Recordings web site or digitally via iTunes.

Pat entries acoustic, Canadian content, folk, Northcote, reformed rockers, Regina, Victoria

Sometimes it just feels like you’re listening to something special.

In the last year or so I’ve written about a number of current/former punk rockers that have made the shift to acoustic singer-songwriters. So many, in fact, that even writing those words kind of makes me want to roll my eyes a little bit. Just sayin’.

But Matt Gaud is something else, people. He’s the genuine article, the real deal, the bee’s knees. If the cat wore them, he would be it’s pajamas.

Gaud is a former member of Means, a Regina-based Christian hardcore/metalcore band (no joke, that’s a thing) that did quite well for themselves, having toured through Canada and the U.S. more times than I have (to be certain). After that band’s dissolution he’s played his rootsier, folksier solo material under a couple of different names, including his own.

I had intended to write about his latest iteration back in February after seeing him open for Library Voices, a show that was recorded for broadcast by our friends at CBC Radio 2 (stream that business at their website; you might as well, you’re paying for it, right?). Seated before a half-full Exchange, Gaud fired up his throaty vocals and got to playing a set of mostly-downtrodden, lovelorn, and longing numbers. His melodies and playing are natural and unforced and he’s an understated performer, his great, bushy beard hiding the face of a poet.

Admittedly, I was at first drawn in more by his insanely-good cover of Hot Water Music’s “Trusty Chords” than the originals, but once I heard the cover my attention was piqued.

Like early Dylan or Iron & Wine or Bon Iver he relies on his acoustic guitar and a harmonica for his live performances, choosing to flush out the recorded tracks subtly with bass drum, bass, some electric guitar, and some phenomenal trumpet work. Seriously people, it isn’t that easy to make trumpets sound this plaintive and downtrodden.

Those horns are one of the focal points on the first track featured here, “Energy.” The trumpet melodies swell in the intro and chorus, setting up Gaud’s pained lyric about a patient potential paramour waiting for a shot at love. The percussion is lower in the mix, but the subtle cymbal work also provides some build and cresendo of it’s own. “Wheels,” the other standout track you’ll find below, makes use of an insistent kick drum that propels the song’s tale of an unexpected wrench being thrown into the minutiae of everyday life. The wailing harmonica recalls Springsteen’s Nebraska, but with the benefit of a proper studio to record it.

This record has emotional heft, but Gaud presents it in a relatable, everyman kind of way. No frills, no unnecessary wording or calculated metaphors. He lays it bare and relies on the quality of his songs and his raw talent to carry the results to the listener’s ear. “Worry” is perhaps the best example of this, hinging on the plainly-stated admission, “I don’t know where we’re going/but I like where we are.” Simple and direct but poignant nonetheless.

I was spurred to actually write this piece after reading an incredibly lauditory review on another website. While it’s likely a little premature to agree with Frank Turner’s assessment of Gaud as “a fucking legend,” if you’re a fan of this style of music then Borrowed Chords, Tired Eyes is a pretty fucking good start.

 

 Northcote - Energy [4:19m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Northcote - Wheels [3:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

It’s worth noting that Northcote is on the bill for the massive, amazing, incomparable indie rock wank-fest that will be Sled Island Music Festival in Calgary the week of Canada Day. I’ll be there, cheering Matt on from the front row. Help him get there:

Physical: Maple Music
Digital: iTunes is a thing

Pat entries acoustic, Canadian content, local music, Northcote, Regina, solo material