From the first track to the last, Matthew Ebel's latest CD is a nearly perfect combination of solid rock music, very catchy pop hooks, and some really deeply moving lyrics. He has a knack for putting into words some of the things I've been struggling with lately. He also puts some real soul into the music. It's well done, but not over-produced. It's also independent, and Matthew has become one of the new shining stars in the world of pod-safe music. He understands the new reality of the music industry.

The first 2 tracks, Wasting My Time and Drive Away have been getting a lot of play on podcasts all over the world the last few months. This business model is growing in popularity, allowing independent artists the ability to get exposure without needing a record label, or a distribution deal, or payola to Clear Channel.

Anyway, on to the meat of this review. The previously mentioned tracks are both solid rock tunes, with very catchy hooks, and Ebel's very clever lyrics.

...My baby loves me, gives me everything I need.

She'll make a crown out of barbed wire, and I'm happy just to bleed.

Wasting My Time

There was a time when nothing stood in between us.

Now there's a curve in the road so sharp it'll make you bleed.

We don't talk, we just punch the clock,

we can't find each other in the same old gridlock.

Maybe a little escape is what we need.

Drive Away

Bright Northern Lights gives a taste of The Bare-Naked Ladies, along with some of the introspection that permeates Ebel's lyrics. He does an awesome job of describing an authentic Christian life, without the pretense an self-righteousness so common in most mainstream Gospel music. He sings about faith, from the heart, and not about religion or religious fervor.

What do I believe in? I don't know, just that

Jesus loves me, this I know,

and that's a good place to start from.

A good place to end.

This theme continues throughout, but in a light-hearted way. No matter how intense the emotion, Ebel never gets sappy, or whiny in an Emo sort of way. This Too Shall Pass has a fun, bouncy feel while talking about how the things in life that we strive for have a cost, and that life is more than the pursuit of things. Life has it's good things, bad things, and if we don't stop to appreciate them, we miss out.

The musical variety on this disc is quite broad, from a folksy rock sound, to some kickass jazz-rock sound on Trees . Matthew Ebel performed most of the instruments, and did all the vocals, sometimes doubling himself several times. All of this was recorded in Garageband, on an Apple Macintosh. The keyboard work is especially good, and the production is amazingly tight, without feeling over-produced.

Ultimately, the lyrics which are speaking the loudest to me are the ones which touch on the nature of faith, and the question of what it means to be a christian, and a human being. The last track, Latte Days and Porter Nights, at over 10 minutes, speaks volumns about what an authentic faith means. It talks about the process that we all are in as we work out our place in God's will and love.

No man is an island, sometimes we rely upon our friends.

Someone has to blow us out when we've been burning at both ends.

See, I'm just living with my body,

trying to make it worth the sacrifice.

Well I may be a Christian

but I never said that I was Christ.

If we are honest with ourselves, walking the walk is not as easy as they said it would be. Matthew Ebel, in this album does a fantastic job of telling the story, without preaching, and without the smugness some christian artists display. He does this with wit, great hooks, and some really fine performances. Track this one down and give it a listen. Some of the tracks are available to listen to on his site, and the album can be gotten from there as well.

Website: http://www.matthewebel.com/main.php