We review the new EP from Matt Stell – Better Than That – revealing our standout tracks and how Stell is part of the next vanguard of country stars shaping the industry.
Back in 2018, Matt Stell released ‘Prayed For You’ – a sweet and majestic track – that fast became the country wedding anthem, since then he has been slowly climbing up the country charts. However, if that’s the first track that springs to mind when you hear the words ‘Matt Stell’ then you haven’t dived in deep into his music, as this EP proves. The project is more intensely layered with rock sounds than his debut single, showing more nuanced and complex sides to his songwriting and character that make Stell a more likeable and interesting artist. Produced with Ash Bowers the rock sound of the production is dialled up a notch and the songwriting is given an additional edge. This is an anthemic project that will doubtless will grow in success in the months to come.
The EP opens with ‘Everywhere But On,’ a heart-breaking track about a guy travelling around the country to try and move on from a girl, yet despite changing location not being able to shake his memories of her. The track is closest in tone to ‘Prayed For You’ yet layered in more layers of grit than the debut single, thanks to the addition of heavier drums and guitar accompaniment. ‘I could add another push pin to the map, but that won’t stop me from missing you or looking back.‘ It’s a heartbreak country song with a twist that provides the perfect opener to break stereotypes of Stell and build into the heavier rock sound that features on this project.
‘If I Was A Bar’ racks up the rock-ante and is a heavier ‘drinking’ style song, akin to later track ‘Chase It Down’ that again shows the grittier tone of Stell’s vocal. This last about taking on the world with a partner – in both tracks, though thematically different, Stell brings out the quieter gravel of his vocal that is entrancing.
On the title track from the project, Stell sings about seeing an old flame at a bar but holding back as a new interest makes his move, pointing out all the ways he is not treating her the right way, saying she deserves better. The track isn’t despondent but it is still loaded with pain. In follow up track, ‘Love You Too,’ Stell again sings to a girl about knowing her worth and deserving more than an ‘I love you too.’ The song is a relatable and universal truth that Stell manages to tap into in a very simplistically lyrical track. Read as a follow-up to the title track, the tracks read as a pair proving how much more his old flame deserves.
You’d be forgiven for thinking ‘Sadie’ could have been recorded by The Eagles. One of the only songs on the project not written by Stell, the track is more lyrically sparse but no less impactful. This is one of the gems on the record, a soaring and anthemic track that showcases Stell’s vocal, pining about wanting a girl back. It is simply a huge moment on the EP and is a huge signpost for the direction of Stell’s music to come. Instrumentally, the track is loaded, with heavier rock piano, guitars and packer drums, making it one of the ‘bigger’ tracks.
Much like ‘Prayed For You,’ ‘Look At Me Now’ is another sentimental track about love gone right to round out the project. It’s a powerful ending, as Stell sings of his emotion on his wedding day and the song is immensely moving. ‘Thought I’d never do this, but look at me now.’
If you did or you didn’t like ‘Prayed For You,’ you need to listen to the entirety of this EP from Matt Stell to understand the complexities of this artist. Though you might be forgiven for thinking he was one of the ‘Boyfriend Country’ segment, Stell is more than that. He is part of the next vanguard of country music stars, one full of complexities, with far more to say both sonically and lyrically than can be contained in just one song. Ignore the body of Stell’s work as a whole at your peril.
Editor’s Picks
Sadie
Better Than That
Everywhere But On
