Single Review: Between Tonight & Tomorrow

Here we have Matt Joe Gow’s latest single Between Tonight & Tomorrow, taken from the album of the same name which is out on March 10th. Matt provides vocals and guitar, and he is again accompanied by his band The Dead Leaves, featuring Andrew Pollock (guitar), Robin Murphy (bass), Daniel Brates (drums), Katya Harrop (percussion) and Dave Evans (Hammond organ). I consider myself lucky to have heard all of Matt’s previous albums, as well as catching him on tour twice in NZ when he came over from his adopted home of Melbourne, as he has the type of voice which invites the listener to come in, sit down and rest for a while.

The arrangements always have his vocals front and centre, and while his strummed acoustic is an important part of the sound, it is the warm vibrato of the Hammond which provides the backdrop for him to place his voice against. The electric guitar is gently reflective and only makes an entrance near the end, while the rhythm section stays in the background, and when we get to the unaccompanied section Matt stands out even more.

This does not sound like a song from 2023 but could easily have come out fifty years earlier with its timeless nature which oozes quality throughout. In keeping with the song, the video finds Matt at George Lane a live venue in the heart of St Kilda, Melbourne, standing inside the venue just singing with no instrument in sight. It is a low-key affair which concentrates the mind on the voice and the face and was filmed by one of his best friends and fellow Kiwi artist Kerryn Fields. Not only is it a one-take shot; it was also the first take, and it captures the ambience and feeling very well indeed. I am so looking forward to the album, and I am sure many other fans of Matt’s take on alt country will feel the same way.