Everybody has one…that collection of favorites situated on one record that rides shotgun as you’re driving down by the beach, through the city, or in the wide-open country—the soundtrack to your summer that blares through the rattling speakers of your car stereo. Maybe you thought you had already found that record and placed it firmly in the 5 disc CD changer of your fondest memories, but, friends, I’m here to tell you that you haven’t. Why? Because that record is Matt Wertz’s newly released poptastic gem, Gun Shy.
The Nashville-based acoustic songsmith of strummy coffee shop jams like “5:19”, “Carolina”, and “Everything’s Right”, spent several months in sunny Los Angeles “to pull the clip on the grenade, blow things up, and start over” for his newest creation.
Gun Shy is chock full of lip-smackin’ sugary-sweet vibey jams; the opening track “Committed”, a song of devotion, bursts through the sonic door, making the listener fully aware that he or she has just embarked upon a genuine 21st century pop music journey. Wertz has truly found his niche; this album is his strongest songwriting to date, matched with only the sharpest production to support serve the music. The warbly synth-driven “Lemonade” might give Queen Bey herself a run for her piles of money this summer. “Slow Motion”, co-written with singer-songwriter icon Dave Barnes, is your new favorite for a balmy summer night’s drive with the windows rolled down.
Gun Shy perfectly paints a portrait splashing 90s drum beats, Michael Jackson dance vibes, and 80s synths onto a canvas of cutting-edge production. Matt Wertz confesses that at times he makes “Easy Things Hard”, but this record proves that he is at ease and in his element. Grab a physical copy, download it, stream it, or however else you choose, but get this record in your car and crank it to max volume. It’s one of the best summer albums of the decade.
Purchase Gun Shy: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/gun-shy/id1109672573
[This review was handcrafted by Nashville ex-ex-pat Luke Ziegler; when he’s not shaping the minds of children in the classroom or coaching middle school bowling, he makes music of his own.]
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