For all of the times when the "Similar Artists" listings are completely wrong, there's a time when you find a Matt Duke.  I love Jason Mraz and since Matt Duke was listed as a similar artist, I decided to give him a listen, and I'm very glad that I did.  I wouldn't personally say that Jason Mraz and Matt Duke are similar artists, but there is most definitely room in my music collection for both of them.  I don't know what it is about his music, but I just can't stop listening to it.  I don't even know how you would categorize Matt among other artists because he is incredibly unique.  His lyrics are so interesting and actually require you to listen and think about them to get the true meaning of the song.  He isn't all about the soaring melodies and glory notes, but about the content of the song.  What I find really interesting is how there is not one straight up love song on this album.  He covers a broader range of topics and that makes for a refreshing change of pace.

I actually started with his second album "Kingdom Underground", and while I love that one as well, I find myself listening to "Winter Child" much more.  Both have a lot of great songs, but I enjoy the mix of songs on this album more.  From the first few notes of "Oysters", it just makes me happy.  What I really enjoy on this album is the range of styles and topics, and how a lot of the songs are not quite what they seem at first.  My favorite song "Tidal Waves" sounds like a nice little upbeat folk tune, but when you take the time to listen to the lyrics, you find that it is about wanting the world to end in a horrible way.  I find that kind of contrast really interesting and speaks volumes of Matt Duke's artistry, which is further explored throughout the rest of the songs on the album.  There is not one song that I don't like on this album, and they all continue to grow on me the more I listen to them (which is a lot!).

I don't know how popular Matt Duke is, but I do hope that more people hear his music and take note of this great musician.  "Winter Child" is my go to album when I need something to listen to, and it never disappoints.  The songs are unobtrusive enough so as not to distract when you are doing other things, but interesting enough to grab your attention when you take the time to hear what is being said.  "Winter Child" is a beautiful album, Matt Duke a wonderful musician, and I hope to hear more from him in the future.

- Jen