Well, friends, fasten your seatbelts! We’re diving headfirst into the depths of a brand-new, intriguing release. Remember how just recently I told you about “Shaka” – the album by Matthew Shadley Band that practically teleported me to sun-soaked surfer beaches? Well, forget everything you knew about them up to that point! Or at the very least, get ready, the band has once again outdone themselves. Today in the spotlight is the freshest of the fresh, the majestic “Preternatural Dreams.” So, let’s take a closer look at what the guys from Matthew Shadley Band have prepared for us this time. The album was recorded right in the heart of the Outer Banks, in a seaside studio. And you know what? That sea salt seems to have seeped into every note – though not in the way you might expect. This isn’t the familiar Brauer who lulls us into dreamy beach reveries or makes our feet dance to a raucous rhythm.
Here, the guitars step into the spotlight, setting the tone for the entire album. There’s a subtle, barely noticeable – but damn well palpable – shift toward hard rock that pushes the boundaries of everything Matthew Shadley Band has done before. Matthew, as always, is a one-man orchestra. Once again, he’s taken the lead, juggling instruments like a seasoned magician. But he didn’t do it alone! He brought in a whole lineup of talented musicians – both seasoned pros and indie gems. And the most touching and, in my opinion, very important element – his two daughters also took part in the recording. That adds a special warmth to the album, you know? The first glimpses of this musical feast came with the single “So Far Behind,” released on April 11. Then, on May 26, “My Sunday Song” followed. And now, the full album is finally here – uniting 10 tracks into one cohesive whole.
It all begins with the upbeat and warm rock tune “My Sunday Song.” Right from the start, it’s clear: the guys are in top form, playing with richness and confidence. The guitars are thick, the vocals surprisingly balanced, and the rhythm section – drums and bass – works with precision and clarity, like clockwork. A great opening that immediately sets the tone. The second track, “Hard to Be,” is pure groove – a vibrant funk-driven engine, powered by the bass. The whole thing radiates energy; the delivery is crisp, clean, and seamless. This is the kind of music that makes you move. And if “Hard to Be” is an open dance floor, “Go Down Easy” pulls you in a completely different direction – like someone just unearthed a dusty treasure chest from the ’90s, generously seasoned with grunge. It’s rough-edged, atmospheric, its rhythm hooks you in and doesn’t let go until the very last chord.
As the album’s crowning moment, “Enigma Four” is an instrumental giant that guides you through four entirely unique music worlds. First, a powerful, muscular rock anthem: guitars roar, drums thunder. Then everything softens, but not for long. The sound veers into a funky corner, where the groove is thick, like good butter. And the finale brings back rock, classic, familiar, and fully present once again. Next comes the single “So Far Behind” – skillfully structured, with bright layers of sound interwoven with fresh energy. The pauses function almost like lines in a dialogue with oneself. And of course, the key ingredient is Matt Brauer’s voice it gives the song that emotional depth you just can’t pull away from.
“Catching On“, originally a song by Son Volt, turned out particularly well. The original has raspy, somewhat dusty guitar riffs and lyrics. But in Brauer’s version, it feels like the track went through a storm – becoming more intense, darker. He carefully wove in new sonic layers, added depth, yet never lost the alternative country soul that made the song so beloved in the first place. The title track, “Preternatural Dreams,” is a story stitched from memories, reflections on mortality, and that faint, barely traceable desire to fix everything, to cleanse, to begin again. The arrangement is magnificent – the layers of sound shift from soft and delicate to suddenly crashing in waves of tension. According to Matt, this song is the heart of the album. “White Lie” is a meditative and partly confrontational take on the secrets and denial that surround addiction. The intro is subtly melancholic, but soon percussive elements and piano spread out across the channels. A guitar floats above it all, guiding the flow.
A clever touch of charm is added by “High Times” – a ballad that explores themes of blind conformity, artificial glamour, and social detachment, where everyone is a performance unto themselves. Brauer digs through layers of self-deception – through “entangled movements of lies,” where we fool ourselves into thinking we’re moving forward while we’re really just drifting away. The album closes gently and expressively with the instrumental composition “Coda“. Originally written for an independent film, it finds its voice for the first time right here. Brauer plays everything himself, from piano to strings, adding subtle, almost invisible percussive strokes. Unlike the rest of the material, “Coda” sounds like a pause, a distant look back, it’s not about words, but about the feeling that everything has already been said, and now it’s time to just listen to the music breathe.
The album “Preternatural Dreams” is consistently solid from start to finish, yet each song stands out distinctly. Matthew Shadley Band has managed to preserve that rebellious, unconventional, “not like the others” sonic signature, and at the same time, without losing its character, subtly bring it to a refined sound. That is true craftsmanship. The result is a genuinely strong and cohesive album.
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