My incredibly selfish reason for writing about music is that it allows me to hear amazing artists which otherwise I would never have come across, and Matt Heckler is a case in point. As I write this I am in Aotearoa (New Zealand), and I am currently playing an album by a musician who provides fiddle, banjo, guitar and vocals and is joined a guest on just two songs (where Jeff Loops provides upright bass, harmonies and guitar). There is no way I would have ever come across this album by myself, all the way down here, but I am so extremely glad indeed that I did. Heckler grew up in the Catskills and calls the Carolina Appalachians his home, growing up on old time string bands and punk, and here be brings it all together.
This makes me think of The Band and The Pogues, not a mix one often gets, yet somehow that seems the right description. This is Heckler’s debut solo album, although he previously had released three albums with the band Deep Chatham, so there is yet another name I need to add to my wants list as this is an absolute delight from start to finish. It is American folk, with a vibrancy and immediacy, and if ever any artist from America was absolutely perfect for the Cropredy festival in the UK then it has to be this one. His approach is often delicate, with picked guitar or banjo, with well thought out lyrics and poignancy. The production has been left fairly bare, as we capture an artist sat on a stool singing his wares just like the old blues musicians did back in the day.
In this modern frenetic and crashing world it is wonderful to discover there are still gems like this out there, from musicians who live for the music, knowing they will never reap the benefits of those who are not nearly as talented as they refuse to confirm to the masses. This is solid gold, an album where space is deliberately used to create contrast and dynamics, from a musician and songwriter who deserves the acclaim. This album is also available on Bandcamp and I urge any love of good music to search for this and discover it.
Rating: 9/10
Links:
https://www.mattheckler.com/
https://anticorpmusic.com/
