The Man With the Anvil Hat is the debut solo album from singer-songwriter Matthew Whitaker.
Matthew has been a prominent member of the Manchester music scene for over a decade – fronting hugely popular bands Whiskycats, Gypsies of Bohemia and, most recently, Henge.
While these bands have been about partying, The Man With the Anvil Hat is more the soundtrack to the morning after – dreamy, haunting, wistful and epic.
Matthew was a prodigiously talented, classical guitarist as a child, although he left that style of playing behind when he discovered song writing as a 16-year-old.
The Man With the Anvil Hat sees him return to those classical guitar roots – with inspiration coming from composers such as Leo Brouwer, Enrique Granados and Heitor Villa-Lobos.
Other influences on the album include the movie scores of Ennio Morricone, the early 1970s folk/jazz music of Nick Drake and the soft, nuanced vocal ballads of Chet Baker.
The Man With the Anvil Hat has been five years in the making – with Matthew’s other projects often competing for attention – but now he is excited to finally release it.
Matthew said: “This is the music I haven’t been able to play on Saturday nights. I rediscovered and rekindled my love of classical guitar, which had taken a back seat while I was busy being the party man. This is where my love of music started. But the opportunities to play these songs to an audience have been really rare. I think it’s my best work.”
Matthew has been a prominent member of the Manchester music scene for over a decade – fronting hugely popular bands Whiskycats, Gypsies of Bohemia and, most recently, Henge.
While these bands have been about partying, The Man With the Anvil Hat is more the soundtrack to the morning after – dreamy, haunting, wistful and epic.
Matthew was a prodigiously talented, classical guitarist as a child, although he left that style of playing behind when he discovered song writing as a 16-year-old.
The Man With the Anvil Hat sees him return to those classical guitar roots – with inspiration coming from composers such as Leo Brouwer, Enrique Granados and Heitor Villa-Lobos.
Other influences on the album include the movie scores of Ennio Morricone, the early 1970s folk/jazz music of Nick Drake and the soft, nuanced vocal ballads of Chet Baker.
The Man With the Anvil Hat has been five years in the making – with Matthew’s other projects often competing for attention – but now he is excited to finally release it.
Matthew said: “This is the music I haven’t been able to play on Saturday nights. I rediscovered and rekindled my love of classical guitar, which had taken a back seat while I was busy being the party man. This is where my love of music started. But the opportunities to play these songs to an audience have been really rare. I think it’s my best work.”
TRACK LISTING
1. The Man With The Anvil Hat 03:29
2. Feud 04:08
3. You Can Only Let Us Down 03:46
4. Settle Down Blues 04:10
5. Bones 05:02
6. Any Question 02:37
7. Penny Dreadful 04:00
8. Ball N Chain 04:08
9. Team Games 02:55
10. Tidy Up 02:28
11. Bint 04:15
12. 30 Years And Counting 02:04