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JFH Indie Review

JFH Indie Music Spotlight Review

Matthew Perryman Jones

Matthew Perryman Jones
The Waking Hours

Street Date: September 21, 2018
Style: Folk / Americana
Buy It: iTunes
Buy It: AmazonMP3



Matthew Perryman Jones has a voice like a flannel shirt. It's soft and velvety, and fits almost any occasion. His modern folk songs have been featured in many dramatic scenes of movies and television shows, and have the cinematic feel to be used in many more. He can sing a sad song and make it feel lived in, and in turn, make it feel like you're living in it too. He's also the songwriter that lots of your favorite singer/songwriters (Andrew Peterson, Drew Holcomb, John Tibbs, etc.) consistently cite as one of their favorites. MPJ is the kind of artist that's worth tracking down and listening to everything they've ever put their name to. 2011's Until The Dawn Appears, 2012's Land Of The Living and 2015's Cold Answer are all master's classes in emotional, evocative songwriting (and that's just his output this decade). Once upon a time, MPJ's songs made it onto the fringe rotation of music channels such as VH1, and he can still stand shoulder to shoulder with fellow evocative singer-songwriters like David Gray, Ed Sheeran and Hosier.

On his latest album, The Waking Hours, Jones again spins a winning formula of melodic grace and gripping lyricism. The opening verse of first track "Happy" notes that Perryman has "all that I wanted / More than I need / I got a girl on my arm who loves me / Why can't I let myself be happy?". Against the droning, melancholy backdrop of the tune, Perryman somberly hints that there is something more to existence than just momentary happiness, something deeper than mere satisfaction with your good fortune in life, something spiritual at our core. Second song "Lovers In Another Life" hints at the source of that longing, with language about "a garden" a lifetime ago. Jones weaves his spiritual metaphors thickly, but they are there for those with ears to hear. Third song "Careless Man" takes aim at the dual nature inside every believer (the "old man" and the "new man" to use New Testament language) with Jones noting that "I want it all, I want everything / I want the drug and the remedy / Heaven help me, there's a devil in my head" Jones hints at an answer in the gorgeous (and more upbeat) title track when he instructs the listener to "Listen to the silence / And you'll hear, a hidden melody form" before asking the poignant question, "Tell me, do you feel the waking hours / Burning in the song / you could sing before you felt it?".

With a strong theme of waking up to what is truly important, and taking the time to examine your life, The Waking Hours is as introspective and searching as it is beautiful. It's the rare form of music that captures the feeling of looking at a sunset in a beautiful place and letting the scene spur something deeper inside you. Art, at its best, hints at another world than this one, and Matthew Perryman Jones continues to exceed in writing the sort of evocative tunes that call for scenery and deeper thought. The Waking Hours is perhaps aptly named, in that its songs are mostly of the sleepy kind (for truly upbeat MPJ, check out Land Of The Living). But they serve the album's theme well. It's a record that's perfect for the winter months of contemplation and introspection and you'd be hard pressed to hear a more gorgeous slice of sadness and hope this year.

- Review date: 11/27/18, written by Alex Caldwell of Jesusfreakhideout.com



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JFH Indie Spotlight Review . Record Label: MPJ Music / Tone Tree Music
. Album length: 9 tracks: 35 minutes, 31 seconds
. Street Date: September 21, 2018
. Buy It: iTunes
. Buy It: AmazonMP3

  1. Happy (3:47)
  2. Lovers in Another Life (3:40)
  3. Careless Man (3:47)
  4. Anything Goes (2:52)
  5. The Waking Hours (3:54)
  6. Coming Back to Me (3:34)
  7. Half Hearted Love (4:41)
  8. Carousel (4:33)
  9. Take It With Me (4:43)

 

 

 

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This Friday, July 25, 2025
ALBUMS
Anchor & Braille New Mexico [Equal Vision]
B. Tee Told You [Syntax]
Bride Scarecrow Messiah CD Re-Release [Girder]
Empowered SALT - EP (independent)
Homesick Prodigals Different Good (independent)
KDNS After Eden [Syntax]
Olivia Lane Songs About Jesus (Deluxe Edition) [BEC]
Tasha Cobbs Leonard TASHA [Motown Gospel]
Kevi Morse Kingston We Winning [Syntax]
Pulpit Vomit Hospital Lens [Rottweiler]
Anthony & Tiffany Salerno Dance for Jesus - EP (independent)
Taylor & Co Worship Breakthrough - EP (independent)
Josh Wright LEAD (independent)

SINGLES
abenezer i was lost - Single [Gotee]
Joe L Barnes Good Shepherd (Studio Version) - Single [Provident]
Sho Baraka Still Got Faith (ft. L3xdivine) - Single [Syntax]
Gracie Binion Easy To Please - Single [BEC]
Katty Camargo Shine Upon Me - Single (independent)
The CCC Collective Thankful - Single (independent)
C4 Crotona Mr. Gritty - Single [Syntax]
CXMMXNS Trust and Obey (feat. CAIN) - Single [Provident]
EJ Swavv & Nickwit2Ks Growth - Single [Syntax]
Forrest Frank GOD'S GOT MY BACK - Single [River House / 10K]
Andrew Gonoude Closer To You - Single (independent)
Noah Paul Harrison Oh Lord My God (Live) - Single [Bethel]
J.Solo All I Have (ft. Kaboose & MotionPlus) - Single [Syntax]
Kings Kaleidoscope + Kings Kaleidoscope Hymns Amazing Grace - Single [BEC]
Tasha Layton Life In Me - Single [BEC]
Lecrae Bless You (feat. Torey D'Shaun) - Single [Reach]
TobyMac God Did It (feat. Jamie MacDonald) - Single [Capitol CMG]
Matt Maher Wait (Radio Version) - Single [Provident]
Hunter Plake Down to Earth - Single [BEC]
QEW JOYXFIX (ft. Stevie Rizo) - Single [Syntax]
Naomi Raine God Will Work It Out - Single [Tribl]
Rave Jesus Runnin' - Single [Provident]
Saints in Exile Bad Vibes - Single [Syntax]
Xander Sallows infinite - Single [DREAM]
Silent Reflection Left Me for Dead - Single [Syntax]
Michael W. Smith Your Love Is A Flood - Single [The Fuel]
John Stratton The Body and the Blood - Single [Pure Mosaic Services]
Regina Vandereijk You're the Light - Single (independent)
Joel Vaughn Feel It - Single [DREAM]
Zach Williams Killed A Man - Single [Provident]
Zauntee Jesus Down In Florida - Single [BEC]

VINYL
Bride Scarecrow Messiah Vinyl [Girder]

DVD
Jordan Smith The People's Hymnal DVD [Gaither]

This Saturday, July 26, 2025
SINGLES
Anthony & Tiffany Salerno What Would You Do? - Single (independent)

Next Friday, August 1, 2025
ALBUMS
Crash Rickshaw Big Sir - EP [Velvet Blue]
McKamey Legacy Holding to Truth [Horizon]
Ordained Thunder Roar [Girder]
V1 Worship Archives [DREAM Worship]

SINGLES
Dan Bremnes Human - Single [Curb]
Lauren Daigle Let It Be A Hallelujah - Single [Centricity]
Sleeping At Last Believe - Single (independent)

VINYL
Disciple Attack! (Limited Run Vinyl) Vinyl [Girder]



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