what people are saying about the new single THE COMPANY I KEEP
"Soothingly mellow into fiercely soulful and bold – Americana’s Mat D crafts a blues-rock classic, with the ballad-kissed power and presence of an enthralling, unignorable The Company I Keep.
Featuring the simple warmth of a live-sounding guitar, bass and drums arrangement, the composition, writing and performance have all been faultlessly captured, promising a release that quickly urges fans to crank up the volume – to escape entirely into the raw emotion and fearless vulnerability of the song’s core.
Ever since January’s release of Devil You Know, the Mat D sound has been one sure to draw interest whenever anything new should emerge – thanks to that clear authenticity interwoven amidst the organic and passionate. In many ways, The Company I Keep furthers that already noteworthy embrace, particularly given the sheer contrast between these mellow, sultry verses and the outright emotional roar of the chorus.
Simple yet striking, familiar yet ultimately outstanding – The Company I Keep has the makings of a timeless hit, but with a genuinely heartfelt sense of pain and longing. It effectively becomes an alternative indie force on its own unique trajectory. That balance is rare, and something Mat D consistently brings to modern music – a fine meeting between skill, melodic appeal, and unrelenting human depth." - Rebecca Cullen Stereo Stickman
"His latest single, “The Company I Keep,” which dropped in late October, is a deeply emotional and theatrical ballad about losing the one you love. Any listener can hear the raw and honest emotion of this heartbroken man with his guitar, as he belts out the chorus, “I fell in love so deep / It shook my soul to sleep / Broke me in two / Dreaming of you / Now that you’re gone.”
With striking, unforgettable vocals, Mat D has a natural talent many artists can only dream of. Music journalist Fred Philips commented, “It’s a crying shame that the world at large isn’t familiar with this guy yet. It’s time for that to change. Country, Americana, Southern rock, call it what you want to call it. I’ll just call it bad-ass.”
And we’d have to agree with that sentiment." - Mia Gruff Music Mecca
“I've been in and around music and the business of music, since the early 1970's. In all that time I've heard a lot of bad music, a lot of good music but very little GREAT music. This is GREAT music; well written, well played, solidly produced...from beginning to end the finest example of Americana Rockabilly I have ever heard... It stacks up with Haggard, Johnny Cash, Elvis, and kicks the liver out of most major label attempts in this genre”
— Jim Pipkin - HickoryWind.org
“It’s a crying shame that the world at large isn’t familiar with this guy yet. It’s time for that to change. Country, Americana, Southern rock, call it what you want to call it. I’ll just call it bad-ass.”
— Fred Phillips - somethingelsereviews.com
“During today’s age of ‘Bro’ Country, an artist like Mat D is the ultimate musical refreshment for those of us that crave real, heartfelt, from the gut music. It’s storytelling at its best, and Mat D’s heart and voice bleeds truth when he sings. I’ve been in country radio for 30-plus years, and the best and most moving acoustic performance I’ve had live on the air is Mat D...Music to me is supposed to be about truth, and Mat D’s version of the truth and world as he sees it makes for gripping music that restores my faith in tight bands and true songwriters. What I really like about him? I don’t know what genre to place him in. That to me is the true art of the world of music.”
— Joel “Big J” Van Dover/Duane Doobie- Radio Info Magazine