Matt Hannah: Dreamland

Matt Hannah showed a lot of promise on his debut album Let the Lonely Fade. His new one, Dreamland, is the work of a musician who is comfortable with being a country-esque Americana singer. He got a new band and enlisted two guys who can play bass, ensuring that the songs have a solid backbone - he needed that to ground all those guitars.

Hannah's gravely voice serves as a nice contrast for the sweet sound of Aaron Fabbrini's pedal steel. The songs have a lazy swing quality - drummer JT Bates playing with brushes certainly helps. Dreamland is an optimistic alum. His lyrics are straightforward and devoid of metaphors or hyperboles. Hannah knows where he is going: to an even better future, with his significant other by his side. That may sound superficial or even cheesy, but it's honest.

Matt Hannah: Let the Lonely Fade

After relocating to Minneapolis, MN, Matt Hannah reinvented himself as a singer-songwriter, with the acoustic guitar as his main instrument. There is stil hint of the music he made when he fronted NYC indie rockers Escape Key, especially during Sweet Sweet Time, the most upbeat track from his new album Let the Lonely Fade, but overall it is an album that follows the signposted roads of Americana and folk, singing about lengthy road trips and the fairer sex. His voice blends in seamlessly with the pedal steel and dobro.

Hannah sounds older and more at ease than he did during his tenure as a rocker. There is no need to shout and he has transferred his ear for instantly hummable tunes to his new niche. All he needs is more mileage to add a personal touch to the material.