a clearing
Reviewed by Anthony Vawser
Published: 29 April 2010
ep: to live without fear
Matt Saunders (under the nom-de-plume of A Clearing ) is a one-man-rock-band producing music in his home, including six tracks which have been collected under the title To Live Without Fear. Though Saunders’ photographic likeness on his web-page may have you wondering momentarily if Billy Corgan has taken up a new alias (though viewed in action on one of the videos to found on the page, Mr Saunders has slightly more of an Angry Anderson look) but his music is generally simpler and happier than that of Billy, and more varied and sensitive than that of Angry, though he certainly knows how to rock out!
Oddly enough, considering that Saunders was born in the U.S.A., his vocals give me the impression of a native Australian trying to sound American! Not that confusion about vocal identity is any kind of impediment to enjoying the music of A Clearing; vocal ability, however, is another matter, and there may be some listeners who find the raw quality of Matt Saunders’ voice to be decidedly uneven. At any rate, his music and his singing hit the spot on enough occasions here to make these 6 songs well worth listening to!
The opening track, ‘Road Rage’, combines seemingly-throwaway lyrics (which actually make a serious-yet-accessible point about the social problem described in the title) with an enjoyably quirky sound and musical structure; alternating ringing and roaring electric guitars with a buzzing synth drone underneath, the song starts off relaxed and carefree, then intensifies into a full-on rock assault (complete with vocal distortion); the instrumental bridge is an enjoyable interlude of spacey, echoing guitar, and the sound effects at song’s end are both clever and cute!
‘Find’ is a medium-to-fast-paced rock stomper, whether you find the lyrical content to be childish or charming will be down to personal taste, but since I generally find it easier to enjoy modest and unpretentious (if complacent) lyrics than ambitious, wanna-be insightful ‘poetry’ that falls flat on its backside, I thank Mr Saunders for choosing the first option! ‘Expected’ is perhaps the least impressive of the six tracks, despite some pretty good lyrics; I suspect it’s the sort of song that would have more vitality in a live band performance…
‘Sola’, on the other hand, is absolutely the most impressive and successful track by far on To Live Without Fear; in fact, it is downright lovely! Saunders ably demonstrates on this song that he can deliver a touching and heartfelt vocal performance, and he brings all the musical elements together at just the right level and in all the right places, the way that great pop music should…With any justice, ‘Sola’ will become A Clearing’s signature tune, and one that a lot of people manage to hear!
‘Compost Heap’ is another slow and moody effort with a good melody and a fine guitar solo at the bridge, but while I suspect Saunders was aiming to be hauntingly understated in his vocal delivery, he sounds merely uninspired; however, ‘Walking into the Light’ is a jaunty and joyful acoustic-driven ending to this series of six songs; the rhythm is so enjoyably bouncy that it feels like Skipping into the Light would be a more accurate title!
The music of A Clearing, as showcased on To Live Without Fear, is versatile yet modest, combining pop and rock and balladry for a satisfying experience overall; I encourage you to visit “mattclearing.net ” and check it out!
