SOUND BITES

MATT MAYS Take It On Faith From: Coyote Released: September 4 Matt Mays' fifth album sees him explore some of the adventurous spirit inside of him that yielded a gonzo soundtrack to a movie that never got made; Coyote has touches of synth-pop, sweat-drenched blues, psych-rock and folk balladry. It makes for an album that doesn't flow particularly well, but one must tip their hat to an artist as unafraid and unapologetic in his willingness to experiment as Mays. Plus, he knows what brought him to the show, and hasn't ignored it; his knack for crafting a radio-ready stomper is as sharp as ever on lead single Take It On Faith .   

Stream Matt Mays' Coyote here, courtesy Exclaim! When Matt Mays dissolved his backing band El Torpedo shortly after the release of 2008's Terminal Romance , I admit I was a little bummed. That's because, after three albums of meandering roots rock and half-baked concepts that showed potential, Terminal Romance finally lived up to that potential. The opening notes of Coyote , Mays' first album in the four years since, is unassuming and slight, with Mays singing sullenly over a distorted piano line. Then, with what I assume would be a smirk, Indio kicks in with a feel good riff and we're off and running. If there's one thing that becomes clear about Coyote early on, it's that Mays isn't content to simply rock out. There are odd interludes and passages throughout the album that deviate from your standard roots rock rules and brings to mind the adventurous spirit Mays showed with When The Angels Make Contact . Ain't That the Truth boasts a si...

For fans of Matt Mays, it's been a long four years since the release of his fourth album (and last with his former band El Torpedo) Terminal Romance .  That album delivered on Mays' early promise, a slick and streamlined channeling of Neil Young filtered through the brokenhearted dark pop of the 90s.  It was a huge momentum builder, but the disbanding of El Torpedo combined with the scant output of the last four years pretty much... well, torpedoed that momentum. Mercifully, the wait for a new Matt Mays studio album is nearing its end.  The album has a title ( Coyote ), and a first single that picks up where Terminal Romance left off.  Have a listen to Take It On Faith: A release date for Coyote has yet to be announced, but one can assume we'll have our hands on it somewhere in the neighbourhood of September/October.  In the meantime, you can also assume he'll be road testing some of those new songs as he plays a handful of dates this summer (includin...