Matt Schofield – Far as I Can See
Provogue Records
http://mascotlabelgroup.com/mlg/releases/far-as-i-can-see/?wptheme=Provogue+Records

Rating: A-

Matt Schofield’s debut release for Provogue Records on February 17, 2014, will make a huge noise in the blues and classic rock community…and it should.  With Far as I Can See, the British blues guitarist reached deep into his soul, a musical soul already dripping with talent, and unleashed the best album of his career.

The music on Far as I Can See is a guitar player’s delight, as Schofield goes old-school to ‘new school blues’ with ease.  He plays soulfully, he plays loudly, he plays with emotion—a wide range of emotions…best of all, he plays like his life depends on it.  Each song has its own personality and as the album builds, each track offers something new.  Ending the album is an epic tune titled “Red Dragon” that, simply put, is Schofield’s masterpiece.  This song takes his playing and songwriting to a new place.

At times, this sucker invokes a Delta bluesman that plays for the love of the music never to be discovered.  Other times he is Jimi Hendrix, and still other times he switches up the beat and morphs into a funky bluesy jazzy guy.  All in all, most of all, he is Matt Schofield, a man not afraid to play the music he loves and be himself while doing it.  The end result is a guy who is getting better with time. 

Far as I Can See is poised to be his breakthrough album.  Expect even bigger things from this guy in the future, but for now buy this one and crank up “Red Dragon” as I guarantee you one listen and you’ll be hooked!

Track Listing:
Far From Away
Clean Break
Breaking Up Somebodies Home
The Day You Left
Oakville Shuffle
Hindsight
Everything
Yellow Moon
Tell Me Some Lies
Red Dragon

By Jeb Wright