Mathew Deriso has been a fixture here on ninebullets about as long as this site has been around. Really, judging from Plank Road Drag, one could say we’ve grown up together, had ninebullets continued to get better over the years. 9B’s shortcomings aside, Plank Road Drag is Mat D’s coming out party. Mat’s past records, be it solo or with his band, The Profane Saints, have all been fine records with plenty of tracks that still live on my iPods, but Plank Road Drag is the first album that gets an unadulterated rip into my inner digital network.
Plank Road Drag consists of 10 tracks largely featuring Mat and an acoustic guitar up front and center with a minimalist set of backing instrumentation. Honestly, I think Mat is best found in his element with this setup. He has a great voice and his lyrics are solid, both of which can get clouded out when he’s putting out material with The Profane Saints. Mat says that his songwriting approach changed while the band was working on recording The Profane Saints’ last album, Dirt Town City Limits, and if that’s the case I think he needs to stick on the path he started down, ‘cause Plank Road Drag was a 2 story step above anything he’s released to date. Odds on fave for my top 10 of the year, easily Essential Listening today.
Mat D – Ford Marriage
Mat D – Ribbon of Dirt
Mat D’s Official Site, Mat D on myspace, Buy Plank Road Drag
Autopsy IV
Part time blogger. Full time hater.
I LOVE songs that tell a story like the first song you’ve included here, Ford Marriage. That’s awesome.