Here at the Send Me Your Ears studio today, we’ve been listening to the debut single from Red Matter. Red Matter, who hail from Connecticut, released Light Of The Moon on March 31, 2023.
Red Matter have a jamband approach to their music, and from what we’ve heard today, we can only imagine that their live shows are a real joy to be a part of. Stellar musicianship from every member, and an ethos of having fun and creating spectacular music for their audiences. Whilst this is the band’s first recorded single, Red Matter have been creating a solid fanbase from their live shows.
Light Of The Moon starts with a real sense of urgency in the drums and bass, giving a definite 70s-style rock feel to the track with some authentic Hammond sounds in the background.
When the male lead vocals come in, they reminded us a little of Bob Seger. They are clear in the mix and easy to pick out every lyric. A tambourine and additional vocals join the mix for the choruses and we simply must give kudos to the high-quality female vocals that come in here. Touches of Susan Tedeschi or Dana Fuchs give rise to some quality belted vocals.
We love the repeated instrumental sections where the guitar and bass follow each other closely, drawing the listener back in, and underlining the motif. There is a definite Allman Brothers/ Jefferson Airplane/ Blues Traveller feel to this track.
We loved the quality Hammond solo that comes in later in the track, and a later still guitar solo has a newer style Lynyrd Skynyrd feel to it – think The Last Rebel Album, perhaps.
This is a band of highly skilled musicians. Every member of the band is clearly committed to creating an exciting and pleasurable experience for their listeners. The melodic bass lines grab your attention and some of the drum fills towards the end will have you grinning from ear to ear.
At just shy of 6 minutes long, this may not be a candidate for commercial airplay (music directors can be so picky!) but Light Of The Moon has a great deal of potential to be added to rock playlists on Spotify, local radio and internet radio. We’d recommend the band seek out airplay in Central America, where this style of music is hugely popular right now.
Ideas from our ears
A boost around 55Hz would thicken up the low end a little more, giving the kick more thump. A cut around 700Hz and a boost around 2.5kHz would balance out the mids too. The vocal track would benefit from some extra compression to help bring it forward in the mix, as would some compression on the kick and snare. Some overall compression on the main mix would add some more thickness too as well as raising the overall volume. As always, these are just some ideas from our ears.
Final thoughts
Light Of The Moon, the debut single from Red Matter, is a nostalgic rock track which will not only delight their strong existing following but will undoubtedly win them plenty of new fans. Highly recommended for fans of Allman Brothers, Blues Traveller, Lynyrd Skynyrd and similar.
Send Me Your Ears offers career advice and mastering services. Please visit https://sendmeyourears.com/advance-your-career/ for more information.
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