Matthew Quen Nanes
Nostalgia
Self-Released
Street: 03.05
Matthew Quen Nanes = Chuck Ragan + Eddie Vedder + Ryan Adams
Right in that new folk/punk singer-songwriter niche with a country touch, Nanes can put a tune together. This three-song EP shows a lot of potential. It’s different from a lot of the material I would compare it to, which is a very good thing. His voice is strong and has a big presence, even when it’s distorted a little too much on “Portland,” the edgiest of the offerings on Nostalgia. The opening song, “Drive,” is well done, with just acoustic and vocals for the most part. Smartly placed electric guitar and tambourine swoop in for just the bridge and out again, just as quickly as it came. Nanes has a great base here to build future work on, and, as long as it continues to go in this direction, I’ll be happy to hear it.