Matthew Lee and the Standbys releases debut LP

Coming out of New York City’s alternative music sphere, Matthew Lee and the Standbys have been making an impact with a sound that stands where nostalgia meets emotional honesty. Based in the tri-state area and fronted by singer-songwriter Matthew Lee, the band’s sound channels early 2000s indie rock while bringing a modern aesthetic to the table. Rounded out by Nick West on bass and backing vocals, James Collins on drums and Kevin Ray on keys and synth, the group has blossomed from a one-off musical theatre cabaret into a fully realised project defined by deep reflective, melody and human connection.

The quartet’s music sits somewhere between the literary ache of The Weakerthans and the wide appeal of early Coldplay with their songs often touching on themes of anxiety, love and the triumphs of self-discovery. Over the years, Matthew Lee and the Standbys gone from strength to strength with each move through a series of studio cover albums, developing their talents while exploring their own original material.

That journey now reaches its most confident point with the release of their debut full-length record titled Black Book, a ten-track exploration of what it means to grow, grieve and begin again. Recorded in New York alongside producer Zack Eldridge, Black Book threads together songs penned over the course of a decade, forming an album about tethering and untethering, to people, to ideas, to the versions of ourselves we’re constantly shedding and rediscovering.

From the fragile, yearning opener “Falling Apart,” the album jumps straight in with layers of gritty guitar chords as Matthew’s emotive vocals hover above before the arrangement shifts with the crash of drums and stacks of bright instrumentation. Rolling with lively rhythms and dashed with intricate lead guitar flickers capped by expressive vocals carrying memorable melodic leads, it’s an epic slice of indie rock that’s anthemic and moving in equal measure.

“Dorothy” lands with the twang of crunchy guitar, gliding with a smooth rhythmic sway as warm vocal leads drift in to cast a deft balance between tender songwriting and hazy guitar texture, wrapping the band’s engaging songwriting in a stripped back setting. The melancholic plucks of clean guitar notes on “Dark Eyes” are met by warm bass tones and aching vocal performance, laying down a stunning display of the band’s enduring and heartfelt sound.

Other highlights on the record include songs like “Ashamed” with its marching rhythmic punch and impassioned vocal work, offering a rousing rock jam that’s invigorating and thoroughly engrossing from start to finish. “Carousel” drifts into focus with the smokey timbre of fuzzy guitar notes and soft vocal lines as the steady taps of percussion adds a gentle forward motion on a song that gradually expands with lush layers of backing vocals, pattering drums and belted vocal leads.

Closing the album with “My, Oh My,” the record’s finale concludes a journey of breaking down and rebuilding, ultimately circling back to the beginning with renewed perspective.“Every relationship, if it is lucky to last long enough, develops nuances. My, Oh My is about that: the weathered reach for who you know is your life partner,” Matthew shares. That context defines Black Book, a work dripping in real life experience, emotionally compelling songwriting and emphatic performance flair.

Throughout the album, Matthew Lee and the Standbys distil years spent learning how to translate feeling into sound to deliver a record that captures the courage it takes to face imperfection, to hold onto hope and to remember that no one is meant to carry it all alone. It’s an incredible debut full-length outing that’s sure to speak to listeners all over the world as a work that’s entertaining, meaningful and original all at once.

Listen to Black Book below