Matt Langlois has found the secret to truly personable songwriting, a fact evident throughout his band's latest release, Right Outside Your Door. Both lyrically and vocally, this fourth effort from the SF group is startlingly sincere, and instantly accessible.
Langlios is a storyteller at heart and emotes with a clarity and honesty that so many frontmen lack. The upbeat opener, "Longing" lays his signature vocals over a memorable, playful riff, while the superb "Painkillers" takes it slow. The offbeat cheeriness of "The Tipping Point" and catchy social commentary of "Politicians," too, round out the album's charm. "Normal Life," however, is the absolute standout, with a chorus evoking the Beatles circa Rubber Soul and verses all their own.
The precision in which The Welcome Matt presents both melody and sentiment is a rare find indeed, and this new release is more assuredly one to look into.