Matt Wertz: Everything in Between

He's got the funky groove of Stevie Wonder and the husky charm of newbie Tyler James, but he adds his own twist of quirk to the picture, and I'm a big fan of the quirk. From the first funked-out riff of the lively opener, "The Way I Feel," I was drawn in to this lavish sound. Wertz injects a lot of himself into these ten pop-rock tracks, revealing generous glimpses of his journey as he works through issues of love, loss and life. All the big ones. "Everything in Between" has tiny touches of beauty sprinkled throughout, such as the charming mandolin and distinctive phrasing of "Carolina," the playful bass line of pop-rock thumper "Heartbreaker," and the poetic lyrics of stark ballad, "I Will Not Take My Love Away." Wertz is a master of the pop-rock genre, offering up hook-filled, contagious songs of sheer fun, at times containing the added bonus of solid life truths. His breezy guitar matches perfectly with those husky vocals, combining to present a seemingly effortless accessibility.

Standout tracks include the sultry "Naturally," its poppin' bass line adding to the gritty feel. Wertz's soft vocals float atop a thick bed of beats that just won't quit. My favorite, and that's saying something because I really enjoyed every cut on "Everything in Between," is the album's centerpiece, the jazz-tinged "5:19." It's got some old-school beats, a quietly simmering organ beneath Wertz's melodious vocals, and lyrics that rip your heart out with their bravery. The album closes out tenderly with the intimate ballad, "Capitol City," a moving song of love laid down. This album, Wertz's fourth, makes it easy to understand his ever-increasing popularity. "Everything in Between" releases September 19th, a day you're gonna wanna mark on your calendar. In red.

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