Matt Blake (from the album Cheaper to Fly

Matt Blake (from the album Cheaper to Fly

Matt Blake (from the album Cheaper to Fly available on JTMMUSIC) (by Lee Zimmerman)
After only one previous album, Matt Blake is making it clear that he’s already groomed for future success. With renowned producer Doug Pettibone at the helm, Blake’s sophomore set, Cheaper to Fly comes across as a mostly unassuming effort, marked by measured melodies and unfiltered emotion. A veteran group of studio stalwarts help assure that sentiment and stability — among them, Pettibone himself on guitars, mandolin, pedal steel, and background vocals, Patrick Warren on keys, David Piltch playing bass, Don Heffington on percussion, and Alice Wallace, Kim Yarborough and Gia Ciambotti supplying the backing vocals.
Matt Blake establishes his own presence courtesy of his lead vocals, which, on songs such as “Hiding in Plain Sight” and “Ohio”, takes on a Dylan-like timbre, one which complements the soft shuffle of the former and the affable workingman’s reflections of the latter. Likewise, when Matt Blake proclaims the fact that ‘spring is coming soon’ as he bids a fond farewell to winter on the song simply titled “Snow” his good-natured attitude is, as always, fully at the fore. Other tracks are similarly seductive — the mellow and meditative “Whole New Thing”, the persuasive plea shared with ”Help Me”, and the quiet and contemplative title tune (the latter repeated via a demo to end the album) — turning Blake’s earnest engagement into reasons for reflection.
It’s that low-key, confessional quality that characterizes the album overall, and while “Big Snow”, a somewhat sprightly “Save the World”, and the more rollicking and robust “Things We Used to Know” are the only examples of more upbeat and exuberant engagement, the honesty and integrity of Blake’s efforts serve him well in their stead.
Two albums in, Matt Blake purveys a peaceful presence, and that calm and comfort, in turn, assures easy engagement. With Cheaper to Fly, Blake can certainly claim that he’s well on his way. (by Lee Zimmerman)
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