Matthew Hipps: “Memories” – honest, organic, melodic, and yet cutting edge!
19 year old Indie singer-songwriter Matthew Hipps has released and began the promotion campaign for his new single “Memories”, already available as a download. Following up the release of Mad Glory’s “Red Wine Blues,” Hipps joined Logan Starks with “Stark’s Sounds” to develop the clean recording and production for the new single.
Simple acoustic guitars, bass and lightweight percussion complement the strengths of the lyrics and the delivery. As Hipps employs judicious use of passionate crescendos of harmony and artful silences that remain balanced and underwhelming.
There are a lot of both familiar and unfamiliar things going on here, and the instrument playing is extremely polished. It is a real work of beauty in that it is a gracefully well-crafted song. Matthew Hipps blends old style Americana with an indie-rock and neo-folksy tale: “I’m not here, for your expectations, no my dear. I’ve been all around, but now I’m clear, The risks you take it never filled with fear.”
Sonically, the track is a bit minimalist and raw, yet it has a nice balance of crispness to a lively sound.
Matthew Hipps is inspirational. His music will speak to you and restore your faith in the basic, pure artistry of music, without the gimmicks and gadgetry. The track is intellectually and emotionally, both insightful and challenging, yet the presentation is so totally humble and accessible.
Much like The Decemberists, The Avett Brothers, The Shins and a Band Of Horses, just to name a few, Matthew Hipps has the potential to change the direction of Popular music. These bands and artists are a reaction against the soulless music filling the airways and explore sounds deeply rooted in the organic musical culture while giving it new life and direction.
Along with the aforementioned artists, Matthew Hipps forms part of a genre collective that has some of the best songwriters out there today. He has a way of cutting topics down to the simple heart of them and revealing something very true.
Then with his mellow, nuanced vocals, the transparency of the instrumentation, and the simple, to-the-point lyrics, he cuts even deeper into the core of his desired theme. “Memories” has everything you won’t find in the typical music of today.
It’s honest, organic, melodic, and yet cutting edge. If you love originality in lyrics and musical arrangement – songs with heart, passion, and the ability to groove your soul you must add Matthew Hipps to your collection.
