Surely Late
Reviewed by: Jane Roser
DC singer/songwriter, by way of Hershey, PA, Matt Tarka has been keeping busy since his 2011 debut EP, Motorcycle Breakfast.
Performing several shows in the DC and Philly area, including well-known venues like World Cafe Live, IOTA and Wonderland Ballroom. Recently, he jetted off to the SS Music Conference in Cape May, the LAUNCH Music Conference and the Millennium Music Conference. It’s a wonder he had a moment to take a breath and work on his new EP Surely Late.
Produced at Low Watt Recording in Savannah, GA by Ted Comerford (Jukebox the Ghost, Jonas Sees in Color), mixed by Mitch Easter (R.E.M., Wilco, Dinosaur, Jr.) and mastered by Brad Blackwood (Maroon 5, Alison Krauss, Gov’t Mule), Surely Late is a spirited album in which every track captures a mood and hooks you in with fun, catchy choruses and a tight sound. The talent that Tarka recruits as his backing band are truly incredible and I found myself listening to some tracks more than once just to hear that one kick ass electric guitar lick again.
“Now or Never” really rocks out and has a bit of a Buddy Holly sound, which I loved, especially during the chorus: “You can leave for all I care/it might as well be forever/we’ve got a 3/4 count…it’s now or never.” I wanted to chair dance to this song so badly, but remembered I was sitting on a Wal-Mart-rolling death trap and had to make do with some heavy toe-tapping.
“Surely Late” and “Very Little” really let his backing band shine and they knock it out of the park. The songs have a tinge of catchy ’80s pop to them and you can’t help but feel a little nostalgic. The title song also has one of my favorite lyrics: “Just climb aboard the rail/well it’s surely late, it’s surely late/and the bloodhound’s on your trail.”
“Bring A Glass” slows it down a notch and has a spacey, celestial Pink Floyd feel to it while retaining its focus and uniqueness.
Surely Late is aptly named since I listened to it once for my review and several times afterwards for sheer enjoyment which made me surely late for work. But it was worth it.
Rating: Bad-Ass
