Matthew Alexander is an exceptional talent...He is a must see...a wonderful and especially likable performer” - Rob McHale, Founder of Songwriters Showcase

— Facebook Post

The newly re-mastered CD "Wishing I Had Wings" showcases fully arranged pop and country amid clean, pristine production. Veteran singer-songwriter Matthew Alexander began his career in Boston during the folk boom of the late `60s. Today he’s based in Charlotte where he recorded “Wishing I Had Wings” almost 25 years ago. It features well known Charlotte musicians like the Spongetones’ Jamie Hoover and Debby Dobbins who are still active today. “Wishing I Had Wings” is more than a snapshot of folk and country music during the late `80s (although it captures it well). It showcases Alexander’s nimble finger picking for one. The opening track is fit for a bluegrass audience, while “Counting the Hours” is one of those classic country weepers you can imagine Conway Twitty singing. “The World Just Keeps Spinning Round” could be interpreted as a contemporary Christian tune, in part due to the style and production that straddles the line between pop and country. “Crying” on the other hand sounds like a Chris Isaak style pop-rock hit. “Tulsa Tomorrow” treads darker, bluesy waters that match its storytelling format. “California Roads” features near gospel-style harmonies, which remind me of both the Mamas and the Papas and a church choir. In fact “Wishing I Had Wings” covers a lot of ground drifting in and out of and mixing John Denver-style folk with more fully arranged pop and country amid clean, pristine production. It reminds me of some of the songs Larry Groce sang on “Mountain Stage” when I was growing up - folk-based at its heart but the full backing band and production directs it toward commercial country territory. Of course you can't get more country than lyrics like those on "Sentenced To Life. Blog: Sound Bites Post: Veteran Charlotte-based songwriter revisits 1987 album Link: http://cltsoundbites.blogspot.com/2011/10/veteran-charlotte-based-songwriter.html” - Courtney Devores on the local and national music scene

Charlotte SOUND BITES

Charlotte singer Matthew Alexander’s style is an outgrowth of the singer/songwriter movement of the late ‘60s. As a matter of fact, he started out on the New York-Cambridge folk circuit of those days before “dropping out” to become a doctor. Wishing I Had Wings, available at New World and Ernie’s, shows off a crisp pop-folk flavor, beautifully recorded at Reflection by Steve Haigler. I admit this LP put me through some changes. Alexander sings direct and honest songs with attractive melodies about subjects like freedom, nature’s beauty, open hearts etc. – not the kind of thing hard-bitten music editors are supposed to appreciate, what with the “life stinks and then you die” attitude currently having the upper hand. But, jeez, guys, you can’t live on a diet of nails forever, and love is important and complicated, the mountains are pretty above the timberline, so give me a break. The things Alexander sings about are a heck of a lot more pleasant than “bus exhaust killed my soul” and you know what, they’re just as real. Sometimes we just need Matthew Alexander to remind us.” - John Grooms, Music Critic

— CREATIVE LOAFING

  Layers of lyrical depth can be peeled from the breezy folk-pop of singer/songwriter Matthew Alexander. Just about every track on Daredevil Angel has a seemingly autobiographical or personal context. Although the songs are mostly catchy and carry a lightweight acoustic groove, Alexander stitches them together with confessional narratives. "New York City Backwoods" is an emotionally devastating recollection of his brother's suicide. "My brother died on your pavement/His body was bloody and cold/My brother died on your pavement/Never to grow old," Alexander sings plaintively, as brittle guitars march like a ghost train. Alexander has a breathy voice that conveys a melancholic ache, but hope as well. Basically, it's the sound of a middle-aged man who has experienced the highs and lows of everyday life—love lost and found, death and emptiness—and is moving on to bluer skies. Alexander is clever as well. In "God Must Be Lonely," Alexander wonders if the greater power that watches over us suffers from the isolation of being the only one of his kind. It's a thought-provoking concept, one that Alexander explores with respect and empathy. Daredevil Angel is largely a quiet album, but that doesn't mean it moves at a snail's pace. The blues-tinged "Didn't Happen That Way" unfolds quickly, gently rocking with a Dire Straits-ish swagger. The instrumental "New Town Rag" crackles with a shuffling beat, and "Joanna" seduces with Alexander's dreamiest guitar work. While coffeehouse folk is Alexander's main dish, there are country spices too, especially on "Chattanooga Boogie" and the cry-in-your-beer ballad, "When We Say Goodbye. Alexander has been writing and recording music for decades, and Daredevil Angel soars over his previous releases with its captivating campfire storytelling and timeless, evocative singing. Visit Matthew Alexander on the web. Track listing: Chattanooga Boogie; Daredevil Angel; Everybody's Foolin'; God Must Be Lonely; Didn't Happen That Way; Joanna; New Town Rag; New York City Backwoods; Where Will I Find You?; Shine; Nancy's On My Mind; One Day; Right Now; When We Say Goodbye; River City. Personnel: Matthew Alexander: lead and harmony vocals, rhythm and lead acoustic guitar; Fred Story: keyboards, bass, drums, percussion, harmonica, accordion, string arrangements. Style: Beyond JazzPublished: April 24, 2009” - Robert M. Sutton

All About Jazz

There are times when I found myself daydreaming while listening to singer/songwriter Matthew Alexander’s new album, Daredevil Angel. Credit that not to disinterest in the music or the lack of an attention span but to the mood-spinning qualities of his guitar playing. Alexander is no bland strummer; there is artistry in the way his fingers work the strings, creating waves of emotion and ripples of vivid imagery. On “New York City Backwoods,” Alexander’s guitar playing is absolutely spellbinding, weaving a network of melody and texture that grips the ears and refuses to let go. You can categorize Alexander as a folk artist but that term has been thoroughly abused over the decades. It’s gotten to the point that anybody who is unplugged is labeled folk, giving birth to a small population of acoustic dullards. Alexander actually puts thought and feeling in his compositions; they switch tempo and evolve, providing full color to Alexander’s straightforward songwriting. “Didn’t Happen That Way” is robust, propulsive roots rock a la John Hiatt while “God Must Be Lonely” and “Nancy’s On My Mind” shine with the starry-eyed melancholia of James Taylor.Published in: Acoustic ReviewsAmericana Reviews, Folk ReviewsSinger/Songwriter Reviewson April 19, 2008 at 1:26 am Comments (0)Tags: acoustic, folk, James Taylor, John Hiatt, roots rock” - Carson James

— TWANG TOWN

“His CD American Boy offers the breath of fresh air we often search for in our album collections but rarely find”    ” - Mark Price, Music Critic

— Charlotte Observer

“Alexander’s vocals recall James Taylor”,  ” - Kate Walker

— National Record Review

“Alexander has a talent for imagery…his voice is expressive, his command of form impressive”  ” - Carlo Woolf

— National Record Review

“A rave review”  Peter Basoa, Radio Rider” - Peter Basoa

— Radio Rider

“The qualities that earned Creative Loafing raves for his previous disc are still in evidence on the new one: romanticism, snappy melodies in a pop/folk setting, a clear vision and a good heart”  ” - John Grooms, Music Critic and Editor

— Creative Loafing