I must preface this post by saying this is for Speedways fans only. But I would imagine that there are more than a few Speedways fans who regularly visit this blog. In advance of an anticipated "Speedways songwriting blitz", Matt Julian has placed a new demos collection on Bandcamp for our listening pleasure. Only Trouble Is, Gee Whiz is sub-titled "The Travelodge Tapes" as these songs were actually written in various Travelodges this past fall. He recorded these tracks on a Tascam 4-Track with a Casio keyboard and two guitars. And when he calls them demos, he's really means it. These are essentially "rough drafts". But they all flash great potential, and I would hope that at least some of them will be properly arranged and recorded in the future. If not, anyone who enjoys Matt's songwriting will enjoy these recordings. I like that these songs show some different sides of Matt as a songwriter. "She's Got a Melted Heart & A Frozen Mind" is perhaps the most "Speedways-ish" of these five demos. A title like that was was far too good to be lost to history! "In the Liverpool Rain" strikes me as the true gem of the lot. It's like a short story in song form. And while the Casio may have simply been a necessary tool to bring these songs to life, it seems willed by the musical gods on this achingly beautiful track. Matt channels his inner Johnny Marr on "Ronnie Spector & The St. Pancras Redemption", while "I Used To" conjures the spirit of Buddy Holly. Closing out the EP is a splendid version of KISS's "Beth". As the recent EP Borrowed & Blue attests, cover songs have always been a strong suit for The Speedways. Here Matt strips this iconic rock ballad down to its core, and his simple arrangement gives the song a sadness and sincerity I've never felt from the original.
The songs comprising Only Trouble Is, Gee Whiz are essentially works-in-progress and should be treated as such. That said, they're really amazing songs. For us fans who have been eagerly awaiting new Speedways songs, these tracks will help tide us over. If these demos prove anything, it's that Matt Julian's talent is undeniable even when he's turning out homemade recordings. If you're a Speedways fan, this is must-hear stuff. And you can't deny that the price is right!
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