Psych Rock from Matt C. White

Matt C. White has long been a mainstay of New York’s underground music scene ever since moving to Brooklyn in 2011 and cutting his teeth in acts like Dead Seconds, Grandpa Jack, Certain Death and 95 Bulls. With each project, he’s dipped into a wide range of sounds and styles, but his distinct musical imprint has always been present; soulful southern rock tones, gritty guitar lines and a penchant for exploring the emotional extremes of life from his perspective.

From fronting alternative psych outfits to embracing fuzz-drenched psychedelic rock, his musical output has consistently won over fans across New York and beyond. First unveiling his solo sonic vision in 2018 with his debut single “Lie With Me,” he was quick to follow with his sophomore outing “Oath,” before his first full-length record, wallow in the hollow., landed later that year. Since then, he’s dropped a string of singles and records, including his Creepshow Peepshow series and his 2023 album, Punishers, which served up a gripping work of modern sludge and psych rock with an unrelenting heaviness that struck a chord with both longtime fans and newcomers.

Now, Matt C. White is preparing to take things in a slightly different direction; his upcoming LP A Cosmic Year, set for release in August, marks a subtle shift from his earlier solo work. Still heavy and filled with all the tension and rage that defined Punishers, A Cosmic Year adds a psychedelic dimension that feels as grounded in vintage vinyl as it does in present-day experimentation. It’s a cosmic trip, leaning into rock opera territory with a loose, dreamy thematic arc carried by his searing vocals and southern guitar swagger.

Ahead of the forthcoming record, he now brings us his latest release with his latest psych-rock single titled “The Way Down.” Self-recorded in his Brooklyn home studio, the track is soaked in heavy, moody tones but balanced with unexpected moments of brightness and playfulness. It’s a song that floats between extremes, light and dark, weight and levity and captures the restlessness that’s always simmered beneath his work.

Jumping into a fuzzed-out scene, droning guitar tones and the rattle of lively drums gives way to a grooving riff-focused rhythm as the shuffle of pattering percussion underpins snaking guitar leads. With his rich voice stitching engaging melodies into the hypnotic sonic fabric, the crash of guitars and splash of drums ushers in a burst of surging musical energy where intricate licks and runs give way to the haziness of the verse.

Distilling the dizzying headiness of psych rock and filtering it through his own highly original musical lens, with “The Way Down,” Matt C. White lays down an engrossing jam that’s utterly invigorating and entirely memorable in equal measure. With his highly anticipated new record on the horizon, 2025 is set to be another exciting chapter in the thrilling musical adventure of this captivating figure in the modern rock sphere.

Listen to The Way Down below

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