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Matthew James Adkins – ‘Stoned On My Own’ review

Michigan-based singer-songwriter Matthew James Adkins was raised on the music of John Denver, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. Feeling a pull towards music at a young age, Adkins started to sing and play guitar, but his dyslexia led him to battle with alcohol from the age of 17 and then onto drugs. In 2015 Adkins got clean and he’s channelled all of his life experiences so far into his debut 9-track album ‘Stoned On My Own’, which was released on Friday.

This is an album that’s shaped very much in the vein of the artists that have influenced and inspired him. ‘Stoned On My Own’ is an honest record that largely deals with Adkins’ personal battles and it steers clear of the current sound that’s dominating modern Country. Opening with the title track, Adkins immediately sets out his stall as Adkins’ well-weathered voice communicates that you’re listening to an artist who has been through a lot during his time on this Earth. Harmonica and swaying guitars lay the backdrop as Adkins hits you in the soul with his impressive voice.

The standout song on the album is ‘Maybe I Wanna Cry’, a song that opens with an acoustic melody and barely audible German dialogue, before transforming into a rock-tinged Americana tour-de-force. One of the darker songs on the record about Adkins’ experience with anxiety, it’s full of soul, grit and most importantly a story listeners will be able to relate to. On ‘Come Back Jimmy’ a horn section booms from the speakers injecting a little New Orleans into Adkins’ sound. His swaggering vocal drawls over the melody as you try to resist tapping your foot on the ground.

‘Bittersweet’ is one of the more stripped-back moments and it’s an emotive track. Adkins gives himself a pep talk about not dwelling on the past, instead looking to the future and what’s to come. The regret drips from his vocal and it’s impossible not to be affected by the song. Elsewhere on the record ‘The Empath’ is driven by finger clicks before a Southern Gothic Jace Everett-like beat kicks in, while on ‘The Scarlett Rose’, Adkins ups the tempo as an electric guitar riff drives the song to its catchy chorus. The album comes to a close with ‘I Can’t Change It’, a track about making peace with what’s happened in your life and moving on knowing you can’t go back in time.

‘Stoned On My Own’ is an impressive debut from Adkins. It sounds like he’s been making records for years and it’s hard to believe this is his first. With a strong foundation, Adkins can now move forward confidently to build his fanbase and he’s likely to turn plenty of heads along the way. Sometimes it pays to take a chance on an artist you’re not familiar with and that’s certainly the case with Matthew James Adkins.

Matthew James Adkins - Stoned On My Own
Credit WhistlePig Records

Track listing: 1. Stoned On My Own 2. Rivers & Streams 3. Maybe I Wanna Cry 4. Come Back Jimmy 5. Bittersweet 6. Shadows 7. The Empath 8. The Scarlett Rose 9. I Can’t Change It Record label: WhistlePig Records Release date: 17th September 2021 Buy ‘Stoned On My Own’ now

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Pip Ellwood-Hughes Editor / Owner
Pip is the owner and Editor of Entertainment Focus, and the Managing Director of Piñata Media.

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