"when I look at you I see myself somehow..."
The percolating shuffle of 'The Life of Trees' by Austin, Texas based Matthew Squires & The Learning Disorders is magnetic but not any more than Matthew's vocal countenance. He has a way of singing with a unique voice that almost seems reticent and super self aware. He also has a special way of stringing together words that feel acerbic and joyous. Some people might find his aesthetic a bit quirky and some endearing. I think for me, when it comes to Matthew's sonic visions they are the same thing.
I have been writing about his various projects, album and track reviews since 2013 and while I have not kept up with his output over all these years it does feel like meeting up with a long time acquaintance. 'The Life of Trees' feels like quintessential Matthew Squires & The Learning Disorders even though his music goes through shape shifts. He is not a static artist and listening to the rambling array of word play and thoughts on this track you can tell that Matthew is forever on his quest, a spiritual one (and maybe a pragmatic one) toward self-actualization. At least this is my feeling not really knowing the man.
On 'The Life of Trees, Matthew early on mentions Paul Simon and this song could be a Paul Simon song filtered through a sort of Buddy Holly and the Crickets sensibility. The production on the music bed is exquisite with the vox very intimately upfront. The song feels like a cajole, a runaway with a lover.
Of the song Matthew shares:
"Like with any song, it’s hard to say exactly what it means, I think it captures a feeling more than a concrete thought. I think it (much like the whole album in a way), is concerned with my attempt to find love or meaning within the apocalyptic landscape of COVID-19. Also more broadly just the general theme of growing up which you can’t understand till you actually grow up, which I wasn’t able to do for a variety of reasons until the global crisis we all went through together, and the way it coincided with certain personal crises I was going through simultaneously. I think this song is probably one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever written, and I’m really impressed by and proud of my bandmates for their arrangements, it all really just fits with the feel and imagery of the lyrics."
'The Life of Trees' with the accompanying Official Video is from Matthew Squires & The Learning Disorders new album 'The Electric River' dropping in two days, October 21, 2022.
-Robb Donker Curtius
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM - PRESS NOTES:
https://twitter.com/ImMattSquires
https://www.facebook.com/MatthewSquiresMusic
https://matthewsquires.bandcamp.com/
Austin, Texas based Matthew Squires: "I think, all things considered, the songs I write are much more listenable than the songs I don't write."
Austin, Texas based Matthew Squires: "I think, all things considered, the songs I write are much more listenable than the songs I don't write."
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