New York, NY (Top40 Charts) South Carolina, based singer-songwriter Matt Megrue (The Unusual Suspects, Loners Society) will release a new LP 'The Mourner's Manual' on February 7th. Album pre-orders and merch bundles are now available at: www.mattmegrue.com (available on smoky gold vinyl, CD and digital).
In a message to fans on his newly re-launched website, Matt writes, "I cannot believe that this day has finally arrived. I have lived it in many a dream over the last few years, and yet, here we are. My first solo LP, The Mourner's Manual, is finally here. I began this project as 2016 was coming to a close with the help of Sean and Brendan
Kelly and, over the next three years, we saw it to completion. The Mourner's Manual is Loss. Love. Anger. Hope. Longing. Vulnerability. Spirit. May you find a little bit of that here. Think less, feel more. Yours en mourning."
Who is Matt Megrue:
Birthplace: Riverdale, Georgia
Current Home: Charleston, South Carolina
Genre: Rock, Heartcore
Associated Acts: Loners Society, cashout, County Line Strangers, The Unusual Suspects
Has Shared Stages With: The Civil Wars, Manchester Orchestra, Hawthorne Heights, Sugarcult, Flickerstick, Shawn Mullins, Futurebirds, The Constellations, Cowboy Mouth, Ross Childress (Collective Soul), Jordan Igoe, A Fragile Tomorrow, Ponderosa.
In listening back to this recording, I'm continually reminded of something that I forgot while making this album: Matt Megrue is not only a profound and poetic lyricist, but also a fearless one. Anyone who knows Matt is aware the impact that artists like
Tom Petty and
Bruce Springsteen have had on him. In the past, Matt might have even leaned into those influences a bit much in a musical sense. But not this time. Those influences still find their way through, but more in the wordplay, layered imagery, and outspokenness that is happening all over The Mourner's Manual.
When you listen to a song like "Mirror, Mirror" it is the perfect example of what I'm talking about. Matt's vocals paint an incredible, melodic picture on top of this melancholic, brooding musical piece. It was the perfect ode to Robert Smith's more fragile lyrical and vocal performances—a slight whisper in the voice and a sense of mystery in the words. Then the chorus opens up; taking cues from the vocal stylings of 90's Northwestern post-hardcore and emo.
The most curious thing about all of this is that, at the end of the day, it sounds just as recognizably Matt as anything he has ever written. More evolved, more mature, more contemplative? Perhaps. But there's a thread in all of his songs that only he can maintain, and only he can pull further. Like this record was always meant to be.
In producing a song like "We," which Matt brought to the table in various states of realization, I was almost immediately moved by the pain that he so effortlessly and powerfully conveyed. His ability to pay tribute to the victims of the shooting at
Emanuel AME Church of Charleston, while also boldly rejecting the sickness of hatred and racism, spoke volumes to me.
The way the United States' love affair with guns is addressed in "The NRA Took My Baby Away" struck me as blunt and impactful. In fact, Matt's ability to ride the lines between bluntness, impact, and tastefulness is apparent all over this record—and I can attest to that as being something that is really hard to do.
"Fearlessness" is the best way I can describe the theme of this record, as it truly is an album about pushing beyond the, often-paralyzing, power that fear has over a person. And Matt really does push beyond fear, whether it's in relation to the sometimes divisive, but necessary subject matter on the album, or the way that Matt decided to go all-in on a musically ambitious and, at times, controversially diverse set of songs.
Matt's lyricism shines like never before, as does his unique ear for melody and desire to push musical boundaries. He is an artist who is following in the tradition of his heroes, while also forging his own path.
While some may be afraid to take artistic leaps and liberties, not Matt Megrue. He doesn't yield to fear. -Sean
Kelly (Producer, Bassist)
