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Matraca Berg - Love's Truck Stop

Stunning album from one of Nashville’s finest story tellers

Matraca Berg is one of those names that have turned up on album sleeve-notes as ‘writer’ rather a lot over the years. The list of singers who have performed her songs is endless, but includes many award-winning country acts. She is actually Grammy nominated too, so it was no real surprise in 2011 when she released her own album, DREAMING FIELDS, even though it came 17 years after its predecessor!

That album received very positive reviews and I (personally) loved it but here we are less than a year after that release and we have yet another album under Ms Berg’s own name.

The only surprise with LOVE’S TRUCK STOP is that I am surprised at how wonderful each individual track is.

If you already know Matraca’s work you will appreciate how she can take the simplest thread of an idea and spin it into a story of epic proportions while still making it personal and believable.

The album opens with the title track Love’s Truck Stop and the hook and pedal steel guitar that weaves in and out will win you over in an instant. This is followed by Her Name Is Mary - a tale of a young waitress who has lived a Hell of a life. The intimate descriptions of the girl and her life will send a shiver down your spine as you pray for her soul.

It’s an age old cliché to say a songwriter paints pictures with words; but that is exactly what Matraca Berg does, with each story playing out inside your head like a Star Wars Video machine. In some cases, like Magdalene - a dark story of a young woman who gets trapped in a world of prostitution - the video will change each time you hear it as you pick up on the tiny details that you missed on the previous listening.

The instrumentation throughout is kept to a bare minimum. Not a note is used without being absolutely necessary to the song, with the words and Matraca Berg’s voice taking front and centre every time.
The album ends with a beautiful but stinging tale of a broken relationship between a child and an alcoholic mother. Fistful of Roses takes you into an area I hope you never have to experience first-hand and Matraca’s delicate handling of this horrendous subject has ‘Award’ written all over it.

The stories here may sound bleak but the delivery is as sharp as a tack and I, for one, can’t wait to hear the follow up – but can’t wait 17 years!

www.matracaberg.com
UK release 22nd October

USA release July 2013 (don't know why)

Tags: Berg, Matraca, matraca berg, singer-songwriter

Comment by Easy Ed on October 16, 2012 at 8:56am: Matraca posted on her Facebook page that ticket sales for her upcoming tour are falling short of expectations. I'm going to post a link to her dates here, and if you're in the UK, pay heed.

Comment by Lindsay May on October 19, 2012 at 8:03pm: I heard about her from other songwriters on my visit to Nashville last year. I'm now don my best to infiltrate fellow Canadian songwriter's iPods with her work. Awesome.

Comment by John Graveling on October 22, 2012 at 3:13am: I'm assuming the reviewer meant The Dreaming Fields (not Spires)? I love Matracas' work and she has a run of fine albums under her belt from her debut "Lying To The Moon" through the fabulous "Sunday Morning To Saturday Night" that should have shot her to stardom!!! Her only misstep was "The Speed Of Grace" when her then record label wanted to make her something she clearly wasn't. Hoping to be at The Stables on November 8th :-)

Comment by Alan Harrison on October 22, 2012 at 3:18am: John - you spotted my deliberate mistake! hahaha....I'm also listening to an album by a band called the Dreaming Spires...DOH! Mistake rectified.

Comment by John Graveling on October 23, 2012 at 7:39am: This is indeed a work of some style and depth. I've only had it five days but already songs like "Black Ribbons", "Foolish Flower" ,"We're Already Gone" and "My Heart Will Never Break This Way Again" are making a big mark. The playing is fabulous with David Henrys' cello and violin work prominent as Jason Goforth paints beautiful backdrops with his lap steel and banjo. Matracas' voice has never sounded stronger or in better shape. Wonderful.

Comment by RP N10 on November 10, 2012 at 3:28am: Judging by the attendance in London last night she needn't have worried about the ticket sales even if she was playing the same night as Mark Kozelek and Lambchop (separately) and on the eve of a 2 night stint by Lucinda Williams.

Comment by Alan Harrison on November 10, 2012 at 5:58am: I think it was the same in Glasgow - if/when she comes back next year expect double the audiences.

Check out my interview with her on Sunday night at midnight - www.ne1fm.net (Jumping Hot Club Radio Show)

Comment by John Graveling on November 10, 2012 at 10:31am: There was a decent, not sold-out, turn out out on Thursday at The Stables in Milton Keynes. it was alovely gig, full of warmth and the four of them seemed to enjoy themselves. Jeff Hanna (Matracas' husband was heading home) so some folks will only get the trio on the remaining dates.

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