Back Catalog: Matt Wilson
Burnt, White And Blue (1998)
Article Tools
His Grammy-packing brother Dan may boast a higher profile these days, but it would be a mistake to overlook Matt Wilson’s contributions to the Minneapolis pop canon. Following the dissolution of their band Trip Shakespeare, Matt dabbled as a drummer and producer-about-town while crafting the songs that would become Burnt, White And Blue, his first—and, to date, his only—proper solo release. While his homies in Semisonic served up broader hooks and radio-ready sentiment, the younger Wilson turned out a disarmingly idiosyncratic 10-song set that bandies tender introspection and self-doubt with an earthier sense of alt-rock verve. From the coyly anthemic “Sun Is Coming” to the quasi-melancholic “Hello Caller,” his twin gifts for melody and arranging radiate through a mix of earnest rockers and heady pop laments. Peculiar, intimate, and cathartic all at once, it’s a disc whose rewards have yet to expire. Wilson performs as part of The New Standards’ holiday show Dec. 6 at Fitzgerald Theater.
