Matt Pryor
Confidence Man
Matt Pryor has gone solo, creating an indie-folk 15-song collection titled Confidence Man. The former Get Up Kids and New Amsterdams frontman’s first solo release clocks in at a short and sweet 40 minutes. The songs are lyrically endearing, observant and honest, reinforced by soft acoustic strumming. Pryor wrote, recorded and produced all of the music in his Lawrence, Kansas home studio. Confidence Man opens with “Totally New Year,” a song about failure, attempts and eventually getting it right, and comes full circle with a satisfying conclusion in “It Ends Here,” where mistakes, redemption and memories are readdressed. Pryor was very conscientious with the order of the songs, which seamlessly flow together. Standout track “Laura Lei” is a reflection upon a past bittersweet relationship, and is a prime example of Pryor’s ability to combine quirky lyrics like, “I don’t want you to know/that I don’t want you to go/because you’ve got my only set of keys,” with sweet-sounding melodies. As if his past musical resume wasn’t assurance enough, “Confidence Man,” for which the album is named, is Pryor’s cry to prove himself as a solo artist. He does. – Molly Hays
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