Matthew Jordan
Horizon
© 2007 Quiet Thunder Records (641444003327)
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Who says piano can't rock as hard as guitar? Slammin' keyboards, great hooks. Think Ben Folds meets Something Corporate.
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"Charismatically gifted... his voice is remarkably expressive... Jordan's musical ability is often stunning." - Bernard Baur, Music Connection Magazine
"He's a pro, he can just do *anything*."- Vanessa Carlton on MTV "Duets"
"A welcome addition to the family of piano songsters."- John Ondrasik of Five For Fighting.
"Think of Mayer and Mraz with the jaw-dropping piano skills of Ben Folds, and you just might get an idea of this 22 year old wonder."-Steven Stewart, Nokia Music Supervisor, Helsinki, Finland
There was never a time when Matthew Jordan didn’t want to play piano and sing.
“I can remember telling the teacher in kindergarten that I was going to grow up to be like Billy Joel,” he says, with a soft-spoken smile that suggests a quiet self-confidence. “There was a kid I knew back then who used to sing "We Didn’t Start the Fire" on the playground. I came home and asked my dad about it, and he pulled out this huge stack of Billy’s old albums. That was it. I was totally hooked.”
But even before that, another piano prodigy inspired him. “We actually lived next door to Tori Amos when I was about two or three years old. She used to come over a lot, because my dad was the photographer who did her early pictures. I called her Toe-y.”
So, with Billy and Tori looking figuratively over his shoulders, a five-year-old boy sat transfixed at the keyboard for hours… which became days… and then years… until he finally graduated from USC’s prestigious Thornton School of Music in 2006. “There’s never been anything else I’ve wanted to do. Of course, everybody in high school thought I was weird, ‘cause in high school ya gotta play guitar to be cool. But I just kept playing and writing, and here we are.”
Prior to the release of his debut full-length CD "Horizon" (Quiet Thunder Records), this twenty-two year old wonder had already established impressive credentials: Nearly 30,00 fans on MySpace; chosen as a featured artist by NOKIA Corp. with his music included in their official Podcast at MIDEM 2007; a finalist on MTV “Duets” with Vanessa Carlton; and a starring role in Five For Fighting’s iconic and award-winning video 100 Years in which he plays the wistful 15 year old pianist (“Fifteen – there’s still time for you”).
He recalls the day of the video shoot as the most grueling and exciting day of his young career. “We had to be on the set at 5:30 AM, and we shot for thirteen hours, during which time I had to repeatedly fall out of a giant tree, my own personal Fear Factor,” he laughs. “Then we had to rush back to Hollywood, because I had a huge gig that night at the Hotel Café.”
In fact, Matthew Jordan live performances are really something special. The ability to be passionately into his music while playing, and disarmingly vulnerable and open in between songs is rare, and Jordan has it a hundred times over. Whether performing with his band, as he frequently does at venues all over Southern California, or solo, Matthew forges an instant bond with his audience.
Of course, it helps that his songs have lyrics and themes to which everyone can relate. "I’m On My Way" is an exuberant anthem to finally breaking out on your own, featuring percussive machine gun piano and an insanely catchy chorus. "Eventually" is a plaintive prayer that a deep love will grow in a heart where none currently exists. That’s a sentiment that nearly everyone has shared at one time or another.
“Most of the time, I bleed my emotions out with the music first,” Matthew says. “I latch on to a feeling and just let it play through my fingers. Then the music tells me what the song is about… Sometimes the meaning of song isn’t totally clear until weeks after it’s written.”
And sometimes those meanings are dark. Both "Insomniac" and "Scared of Love" are songs about suicide. "Insomniac" is about the failed attempt of a high school friend to kill himself over a broken romance. "Scared of Love" hits even closer to home, written for a beloved uncle who tragically took his own life in 2005.
But mostly, Matthew’s music has a hopeful edge to it. “I try to keep my eye on the big picture,” he muses. “There’s something pretty overwhelming about being an ant on a marble floating in a random corner of an infinite cosmos. That makes it kinda hard for me to take myself too seriously.”
reviews
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- author: Joyce Nicdao
You know how you think the second album is usually crap compared to the first amongst most singers nowadays? Well, with the M.J... he just got better. Not to say the first one wasn't good, it's just that the second is equally inspiring. Makes you wonder why his stuff is not on your radio station's must-play list.
- author: Dain Razo
This CD is awesome. The guy has TALENT.
Amazing
author: KenythI first met Matthew at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood, when I attended IPO with a good friend of mine. To say I was blown a way by his music is an understatement. I am a sucker for the piano, and when he started playing I’m On My Way, I was literally awe struck. Musically, it’s one of the most interesting songs I’ve ever heard, and Matt’s passionate voice and lyrics only made the song that much more incredible. It is refreshing to hear a talent that is not backed by synthesizers and voice effects, but rather relies on raw emotion and talent. It’s brilliant!
all the songs on this cd rock especially the horizon version of blink
author: StephanieI got Matt's new album "Horizon" and I've basically been glued to it since then. I am in love with the Horizon version of "Blink" I think it's one of his best arrangements of any song. I also love the new song Jessie. And one of my personal favorites is and always has been "Scared of Love". In general the album is just amazing I can't listen to it enough. And hey to anybody who wants to get the cd order it with Matt's new t-shirt! I got the shirt too and I love it! But really this cd is amazing because none of the songs are alike. Don't you hate trying to listen to an artist's cd all the way through and all the songs just sound the same? Every one of Matt's songs has a differnt style and meaning. So many of his songs have such amazing lyrics you get sucked into the song in the first few words. It's like no matter who you are, what your life is like, you can relate to his songs. Some are about love, but not every song which is great for today since everything on the radio is usually about love. His album just covers so many stages of life it's amazing. It's one of those cds where you hear the amazing piano intros playing in your head for the rest of the day. What can I say? I love this cd!
Amalgam
author: KatieDancerThink of every emotion you've ever felt and condense it into a 47-minute aural experience. Sometimes tender and gentle, other times bold and in-your-face. Usually hopeful with the occasional hint of doubt. Moments that are completely raw, but with moments that are sleek and sensual. Some of it talks to the world, some of it has more individual intention. Points of trepidation, points of brash confidence. Combine with all the aforementioned Matthew's youthful artistry, one that builds on strong pop sensibility, beautiful hooks, and enough edge to be rock and roll. The album is honest: a listener can hear in the vocals the emotions Matthew feels. It all adds up to a pop-rock-adult contemporary amalgamation that could easily attract a strong listener base. And that's Horizon in, well, a novella instead of a nutshell.
Album displays clear versatility in songwriting and performing
author: James HickeyWhat first struck me about the album was the song "I'm On My Way." The lyrics were clever, but more importantly, the piano was intense. The music was very attention-grabbing. Then, "Eventually" showed a softer side to the music he had co-written. Through musical versatility, Jordan definitely proves that piano can rock as hard as guitar!
Incredible talent
author: Jerry SnyderIf you want to experience true talent, then Horizons needs to be a part of your CD collection. Every track evokes different feelings in the listener. My two favorites are Eventually and Invisible Man. The arrangments and vocals are simply genius!
"Horizon" is an inspiring musical journey
author: Elizabeth W."Horizon" is filled with potential radio singles with its tunes full of wonderful melodies and catchy hooks. The music covers the whole range of emotional spectrum as Matthew shares his soul with the listener. Lyrically, this CD impresses me greatly...it is astounding to me that Matt can demonstrate such lyrical maturity that reaches far, far beyond his years. Musically, the compositions and arrangements vary from each other so that each song stands on its own as something you will remember for the uniqueness of each individual piece. It’s clear that Matthew Jordan is an artist who will continue to write and produce music that is worthy of great success..."Horizon" is the beginning of his dawn.
Vital and individual, involving music
author: Nobuyuki SakamotoListen to most CDs that arrive weekly and you'll know the words and the tune before each song finishes, as if they've been pumped out of a machine. Forget all that because it's not part of Horizon, Matthew Jordan's newest release. It's alive and reminds you with every track that you're alive, too and it reminds you that living is a good thing, even if it hurts sometimes, and that you can succeed despite obstacles. The track "Falling down" even tells us "I get back up, I get back up." Throughout, you'll find songs that are individual as if you'd pulled them from your own thoughts. The melodies, harmonies, and lyrics are brought to life by a highly talented and skilled group of musicians who are sharply focused and smart arrangements that make you part of the experience. In this album, the piano is dominant instead of guitars. We've all heard Elton John or Billy Joel bring piano up front cleverly, and Matthew Jordan does the same including some very agile work in I'm on my Way that's as much fun to watch as it is to hear. Piano rocks. Horizon is where most music should be going: to be up close and personal. It involves you instead of making you just a spectator. Being individual sounds (and feels) so good.
One of the best albums of the year
author: JasonWMatthew Jordan, who's musical style resembles the heart grabbing ballads of Joshua Kadison, the awesome rocking and rolling of Ben Folds, and a little John Mayer and Jason Mraz all rolled into one, has a hit a home run with his debut full-length album Horizon. While all of Matt's songs are amazingly compiled and lyrically brilliant, it's in his ballads that he shines brightest. Eventually, which is one of my all time favorite songs, combines great piano along with some light up-tempo beats and some solo piano instrumental runs to make this a real winner. Scared of Love is a song in which Matthew Jordan displays his vast musical talent and introduces the guitar which he plays as the primary instrument in this song. He pulls off the relative new instrument for him in professional style to create a great track. Close, which he performed on MTV's Duets with Vanessa Carlton is another of my favorite songs, in which he goes almost completely acoustic and produces a brilliant song which really showcases both his powerful piano and soulful voice to create an amazing ballad. The saxophone, which is introduced in the song "Jessie" provide a great Jazz-like vibe, while still staying true to it's rock and roll roots. The song Invisible Man really brings a spotlight to Matthew's powerful voice and adds to his reputation of a highly skilled and terrific lyricist. The catchy hooks and up beat tempo in Eventually makes for a great song to get stuck in the heads of many. Perhaps the most unique song on the entire album is the closing ballad, "Passengers" which consists of intricate piano runs and delicately written lyrics to create a song that becomes the most perfect of endings. Matthew Jordan deserves to make it big, and is one of the most talented indie performers in the country today. I have a good feeling we will be seeing a lot more of him in the near future.
Horizon is remarkable, amazing, and a recommened buy
author: Nadia PeerHorizon is a remarkable album exploring the wonders of piano/rock. Matthew Jordan really knows how to play his music and play it well. You really find yourself in tune with the music and you experience more than just the song itself. You find yourself feeling the emotions of every song including each trial and tribulation along the way. The songs on this album are more than just songs. They are style, rhythm, melody, and well written lyrics. Being Matthew's first full lenght album he has had the time to prepare and he has prepared well. From his Book of Days EP it was easy to tell he was going to get somewhere in his musical career and this just backs that up. We know his influences (Billy Joel, Ben Folds Five, etc) or can find them out and see where he's coming from but this album is his own. He makes music he enjoys to write and play live. This album shows how well he can write music and play the songs that accompany those wondrous lyrics. It shows he may have many influences but it is clear that he has the ability to create his own music no matter who he looks up to. (It's not that looking up to someone is unimportant, it is important). There is so much keeping him going and so much he is going to achieve. This album shows he'll achieve a lot. The strong points of this album can't be defined to one song because each song is strong in it's own way. The songs all have their own greatness. As the album starts off with "I'm On My Way" and ends with "Passengers" you really get a full album. It doesn't seem too short nor too long. You get everything out of a great piano/rock album and better. Horizon shows Matthew Jordan's amazing talent. This album doesn't fall short of doing that. Some songs (including "Blink" and "Miles Away") are more upbeat than others while some songs are headed towards a softer side ("Eventually", "Invisible Man") of his music. "Someone's Waiting" is the kind of catchy that can get stuck in your head in a good way just as you'll get to feel every part of "Sacred of Love". "Close" was a song that was played on MTV Duets when Matthew Jordan was on the show and he has made a good decision by putting the song on this album because so many people love that song. Horizon shows every point of a great album and it will get Matthew many places. With the songs on this album you may be able to sing aloud or hum to them but that makes it even more enjoying. Just being able to sing along and/or relate to every word the artist is saying. You can do that here and sometimes with musicians you can't. The fact that you can do all this with wonderful music makes it all the better. It is that you can connect with the artist, as you can here. This album will turn a lot of heads and will be left in CD players on repeat for a long time. Well that goes for me at least. Horizon by Matthew Jordan is nothing short of a great album made by a great musician and song writer. I recommend you buy this as soon as you can. You'll be glad you did. [I have no favorite song because it hard to choose between them]
Amazing album
author: AmandaThis cd is fantastic, it really is. The lyrics are very-well written and very true. They really speak to you. Normally when I buy a cd, I wind up skipping a few songs I don't like. Not with Horizon. You won't be disappointed in this album.
High quality all the way! You won't be disappointed.
author: Brenda SilversI got a pre-release copy of this CD from a publicist. I get dozens of those, and I usually ignore most of them. For some reason, probably the eye-catching package, I actually stuck this one in the player. Surprise, surprise! One song after another blew me away. Not a bad track on the album really. Although many will like the obvious radio friendly cuts like SOMEONE'S WAITING and SCARED OF LOVE, my preference goes toward the more understated songs INVISIBLE MAN and JESSIE. The sax on JESSIE is the kind of touch you almost never hear on an indie album. This is much better than most major label releases. Matthew Jordan is an artist to watch.
Horizon is worth looking into
author: Claire Schmidt“Horizon” is exactly what its title promises the listener: The pure possibility of witnessing something beautiful that will give you pause, even if just for a moment. If one could listen to this entire cd and not find something to take from the experience I would truly be surprised. “I’m On My Way” starts the ride off right with an upbeat tempo and a bit of nostalgia and novelty with a lyrical reference to Back To The Future’s Marty McFly. “Scared of Love” and “Jessie” offer the listener a bit of variety with jazz and folk undertones. “Eventually,” “Close,” and “Insomniac” are the ballads you’d expect and desire from a talented pianist and believe me, they deliver. But the true hero of “Horizon” is its finale. “Passengers” is an emotionally-wrenching song with a poetic melody that ends the cd perfectly: leaving you wanting more.