Marshall Matthews - Nothin' Bigger Than Texas
Country, Rock
Oklahoma, U.S.
Overall Impression: Country rock lovers rejoice, you're in one for one rip-rollicking good time that's for sure. Best known for his work in one of the largest renowned Elvis Presley and Neil Diamond tribute acts, Marshall Matthews and The Memphis Kings, Marshall gets to gloriously flex his solo writing wings here, and with the release of his upcoming album "Just Some Songs We Like" on the very near horizon, "Nothin' Bigger Than Texas" serves as the perfect example of what listeners can expect, a truly authentic country experience that manages to perfectly embody the very best of what the genre has to offer. Acting as both a tribute and mark of appreciation for the great state of Texas and its undeniably unique sense of character, Marshall offers listeners a truly charming and marvelously quirky look into the personality-steeped state and what magical wonders await a passing traveler, and it has proven to be that effective that I'm already ready to take a year off and head there myself, I can't say that about many tracks but Marshall sure does some strong convincing.
Strongest Point(s): Now, you can say any great country rock tune can be judged on a number of different factors, in fact, any piece of music can, but when it comes to an exciting and rip-roaring rocker such as this, I like to conduct a simple yet very effective test to help best determine how the music truly makes me feel. I keep a guitar next to my desk, and as soon as "Nothin' Bigger Than Texas" got underway, I instantly felt compelled to reach out for my trusty Telecaster, plug on in, and jam away, and if a piece of music can momentarily get me away from actually writing the review, then I know there's clearly something here that resoundingly works. "Nothin' Bigger Than Texas" quite simply has the writing, performances, and charm to make you want to heavily invest in the music, from the fantastic interplay between the various areas of the instrumentation, such as the fiddle and lead guitar, to Marshall's utterly welcoming vocal qualities, this is a track that boasts a solid, engaging arrangement and is chock full of performances that ensure each and every dash of melody and rhythmic excitement is fully capitalised on.
Target Audience Appeal: This will undoubtedly appeal to country rock lovers and fans of the style will surely have a great time with the track.
Artist target suggestions: Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Brooks & Dunn, George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Buck Owens, Johnny Paycheck, David Allan Coe, Bobby Bare, Jerry Reed, Dwight Yoakam, Kris Kristofferson
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About the Reviewer:
Andre Avanessian is a freelance session musician, composer, and sound engineer based in the U.K. Having studied music production and composition at a degree level, he has taken his passion for all things audio-related to a level that has allowed him to become both a competent musician and performer. Being a self-confessed "Guitar Nerd" Andre has been continually studying the guitar, as well as teaching it, helping students both learn the instrument, develop their songwriting, and how to become proficient in home recording.