In the old days, when musical content mattered and music itself wasn't just “content,” Matt Boulter would have been held in the same esteem as the likes of Nick Drake, Al Stewart, and Ralph McTell.
He's been around for a long time, is a Radio 2 and Uncut favourite, has a devoted fanbase and has just released his fourth album in 12 years (his last, Clifftown, was released in 2020). He's also collaborated with the likes of Simone Felice Group, The Duke and the King, Emily Portman's Coracle Band, Blue Rose Chord, The Owl Service & John Bowden's Remnant Kings and one of my favourite Southend bands, Lucky Strike.
The line-up on this album is: MG Boulter – vocals, guitar, pedals, lap steel guitar, percussion, Harriet Bradshaw – vocals, cello, percussion, Lucy Farrell – vocals, sawtooth, percussion, Neil McSweeney – guitar, bass, vocals, Tom Lenthall – piano, Helen Bell – violin, viola, Jenny Sturgeon – vocals and keyboards on “Talk to Me of Water”.
Boulter is a brilliant songwriter who writes and sings songs about real and imagined suburban and small town life, songs about thwarted opportunities and the mundane realities of modern day living, rooted in a world of rumour, mystery, urban legend and the magical thinking we all use to shape our lives, expectations and hopes.
He mixes UFO sightings with adolescent partying, the escapism of fishing with a yearning for a better life somewhere else, etc. The songs on “Days of Shaking” allude to UFO sightings, possible cave gods, and visits from the dead in dreams, all adding to a rich texture of belief in people's wants, needs, and ultimately, hopes.
His music is full of softness and tenderness, exposing and reflecting, embracing the weaknesses and shortcomings in us all. He sings high, clear, but often languidly, over beautifully produced, tender acoustic music with plenty of strings. You can get so lost in a song that by the end, you'll have memorized every note and word, even if it means catching your breath.
This is an important album, it shows that there are still real songwriters out there, real musicians who create images with their lyrics.
I don't know if this society deserves Mr. MG Boulter, but I am very happy that he is still around to shake his fist at the peddlers of “content.”