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WARE RIVER CLUB
is a five-piece band from Northampton, Massachusetts, built solidly around the vocal and song writing talent of group leader Matt Hebert. Their music is a balance struck between a pop-rock instrumental sound that is sweet, smooth and developed to the point of being choral and the sometimes rougher sound of Hebert's raspy (although always melodic) voice. That voice - Matt Hebert's voice speaks with a keen eye for detail and a master storyteller's precision. As
The Atlanta Observer
states, "
Like all the greats, Hebert seems to have mastered the art of nuance
," while Charlotte's
Creative Loafing
praises Hebert's songs as "
the aural equivalent of Raymond Carver
".
With their new album,
Cathedral
, Ware River Club weaves these songs and sounds together perfectly and somehow manage to be as catchy as they are cutting as they are stretched across meditations on love, doubt and the sad and pretty subtleties of everyday life.
Along with singer
Matt Hebert
, Ware River Club is made up of
Matt Cullen
(guitar, keyboards),
Bob Hennessy
(guitar),
Don McAulay
(drums), and
Scott Helland
(bass).
The band formed in 1998 from the remnants of several other highly acclaimed New England bands. The first two Ware River Club releases, (
The Bad Side Of Otis Ave
., and
Don't Take It Easy
), have garnered the band critical acclaim for their songwriting, earning them comparisons to such artists as
Neil Young
and Crazy Horse
,
Townes Van Zandt
,
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
,
The Jayhawks
, and
the Replacements
. Their new release combines the best of these and many other influences yet serves up a new and completely unique sound.
Long known for the power of their live performances, Ware River Club's recent live shows have increasingly become more nuanced, expansive experiences
, while still keeping in touch with the energy and excitement for which they have been known.
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