Scott Matthews + Josh Pyke - April 1st, Oxford Brookes Student Union

In this small but surprisingly atmospheric venue, the evenings entertainment was begun by a single man and his acoustic guitar. As Josh Pyke took the stage, a hush came over the expectant audience. With a very similar look to Scott Matthews himself, Josh began a selection of acoustic only tracks from his upcoming album, to be released in the UK in 1-2 months. Josh's voice carried beautifully over the audience and his competent acoustic guitar skills combined to give a very strong performance. There wasn't a great variety in his performance, but that can to an extent be overlooked due to the fact he was alone for the entire 30 minute set.

However he did manage to provide some variety, with some tracks reminding of a less over produced James Morrison, and others of a more simple and emotinally hard hitting nature in the like of Dallas Green's 'City and Colour' side project. Certainly one to watch for the future, this young man boasts a very good voice and some excellent song writing abilities.

Following this inspiring set, Scott Matthews took the stage.

The lights dimmed and smoke appeared as the silhoette of Scott Matthews could be seen taking the stage. It was as if he was emerging from the shadows, alone and standing with importance. Whilst later on Scott would be joined by his band, he began the set just on his own with an acoustic guitar. He didn't start by talking to the audience, but instead playing a short instrumental piece. This gave off a mysterious atmosphere, yet was a bold entrance that had the audience listening intently. Scott Matthews is known for his diverse influences, which were especially shown by his 2006 debut "Passing Stranger". Scott dedicated the first couple of songs to the more delicate parts of his studio album, and then later showed off his more rock influenced side. It didn't matter that he may have been a little static at first, as his audience seemed to be captivated by his technical abilities at playing lulling chord patterns and gentle picking sections, topped off with a mysterious and powerful voice.

Soon he was joined by his band including a bassist, cellist and drummer. Playing the single "Dream Song" early on added a whole new lease of life to his performance, going from a fragile one man acoustic show to an energetic full band effort. The music may have slightly overpowered Scott's voice at times, but this didn't stop him delivering a fine vocal performance, often weaving in and out of delicate verses and Jeff Buckley style powerful moans. When with the band, Scott Matthews delivered a more energetic show, often with loud and powerful choruses, and rhythms that made it irresistable for the audience to tap their feet. Since this Student Union had a relatively intimate setting, it is safe to say that Scott's music reached to the whole audience and was well recieved. His occasional jokes and banter also went down well and the band played with an interesting chemistry. He also managed to devote time to his more country and bluegrass inspired tracks such as the title track of his debut album.

When Scott and his band play live they definitely add new elements into their sound. Often in places where the album became a bit too busy and layered, the band have stripped these songs down a bit more when played live to offer a more memorable delivery. Also some of the quiter songs from the album were given even more depth and beauty when performed live. This secures that Scott knows how to bring something new to his songs live. It would be interesting to see if Scott can add these more stripped down elements into his next studio album, whilst also encorporating his great live energy. Scott and the band would also link many of the songs live with short instrumentals (including one longer jam), similarly to the way he used short instrumental interludes throughout his debut album in order to link songs together.

Scott ended his set the way it began. His encore came full circle by coming back out with dimmed lights and just the man and his guitar. This is where he played an incredible version of his popular single "Elusive", which gave even more emphasis on his great vocal skills, which had remained in great form at the end of the show. Scott Matthews provided a set that was full of range and with a well devised setlist that didn't let up for the entire hour and twenty minutes. He has shown that he still has the soul of a busker and can provide the intimacy of a pub gig, yet also reaches new heights when he plays with his band. Scott may just well be this decade's English answer to Jeff Buckley.

Written by: Frenchie / Jamie