:: Mat McHugh - Seperatista

Mat McHugh

Mat McHugh's solo debut album Seperatista is in one word: cool. Very, very cool. Best known as the founder, lead singer and songwriter of The Beautiful Girls, Mat is not going solo for good, so you can all breathe a sigh of relief, he's just taking a break to pursue some individual projects. And thank God he did, because Seperatista is refreshingly good. Not to mention a surprisingly original way to put to use all the songs that didn't suit The Beautiful Girls's new electric sound. Now without sparking outrage from loyal fans, McHugh's smooth voice and laid back style do remind of the untrained ear of Jack Johnson, but far less annoying. Without drowning listeners in the same slow, whiny tunes Johnson is famous for, Mat has put together a veritable smorgasbord of reggae and acoustic anthems that are very easy to listen to. Seperatista gets off to a slow start. The two opening tracks are the most Johnson-esq and really nothing to write home about. “And It Isn't Me”, is, however, the turning point, taking the album in a whole new direction. One which is pure and simple splendour. “Loneliness” is definitely one of the album's stand out tracks. A beautifully haunting melodica and acoustic guitar intro sweep you into a melody of off-beat drums and piano, which are enriched by McHugh's deep vocals. Seeped in an emotion that continues throughout the album, “Loneliness” isn't just a good song, but a lyrical masterpiece that catches you up in its melancholy and leaves you without a doubt of McHugh's song writing talents. When not exploring the darker side of human emotion, the album manages to still keep a cheerful reggae beat. “Over and Over (Ring the Alarm)” is as reggae as it gets and reminiscent of UB40 with its horn flourishes and ambling guitar melody. But in the end, Seperatista is just that - a beautiful fusion of smooth sounds, the acoustic and the reggae, the upbeat and the melancholy, all to create what is clearly a breathtaking solo debut album.