Album Reviews

 

The Mat Day Band                                                    26 May 2025

“The Mat Day Band”         TL 090623

Review by:

Stephen Brayne

Rating:

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Arriving with a big bang, The Mat Day Band’s first recording - a five track EP of the same name - is a  really, confident statement of intent. Bristling with talent, fluid technique and some strong original material, as well as a couple of carefully chosen covers, this Northampton-based band come on strong and fiery, and sound ready for the biggest stages.

Kicking off with No One Else To Blame, a Mat Day original, they launch into a confident blues shuffle, with a notable, cool jazz influence, reminiscent of Robben Ford. Mat’s voice is smooth and his guitar playing fiery, fluid and exploratory, but his advanced technique is also full of real feel and great phrasing. With swirling Hammond and a super-tight bass section, this is an impressive opener

Throne Of Glass, another original, takes the tempo down, with a moody minor key feel and runs to an ambitious seven and a half minutes, where the band gets the chance to stretch out. There’s some smoky, close-miked singing from Mat followed by some passionate guitar, again showing a clear jazz-blues influence, but with hot contemporary tone. A great brass arrangement by Greg Coulson really enhances the track, which opens up beautifully.

The Albert King classic Travelin’ Man comes next and the band get to show off their funky strut on this one, with some fine rhythm section playing to add to the stew, courtesy of Luke Palmer on bass and Sam Round on drums. The groove is propulsive and should get any audience up and strutting their stuff. And Mat ends the track effortlessly flying on guitar.

Fooled, another Mat Day original, takes the tempo down again and the brass and Hammond intro sets the track up beautifully. This is a sophisticated piece of writing which showcases some great vocals and and clever, thoughtful lyrics. The passionate guitar solo soars over the brass section. The climbing chord changes are fresh and really give the track a moving and grand, epic quality. Superlative stuff!

To sign off, and nailing their colours firmly to the mast, the band sail confidently through John Coltrane’s exuberant Bessie’s Blues, giving it a totally contemporary feel, waving their jazz flag high, with glorious sax, guitar and Hammond solos, underpinned by a super swinging rhythm section where drummer Sam Round gets to showcase his considerable chops. The track stops on a dime and voices in the studio can be heard saying, “At least we nailed the head!” They certainly did.

Its difficult not to run out of superlatives for this recording, which is full of exhilarating playing throughout, and it would seem to me that The May Day Band should be getting major air-time and playing the festival stages now.

This is compulsory listening for any lover of sophisticated, jazz influenced contemporary blues. 

Can’t wait to see them live! This band is hot!

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