Matthew and the Atlas Other Rivers

Matthew & The Atlas, the namesake of British musician Matt Hegarty, will release his/their debut album Other Rivers on April 15 through Communion Records. The new projust was produced by Story Books' Kristofer Harris and Bear's Den/Communion's Kev Jones and was recorded at Squarehead Studios in Kent in late 2013. As DC noted in a RADAR preview, "the stage has definitely been reset from the buskery pub stomp-a-longs of his earlier works to decidedly more theatrical alt-pop environs. The distinctive rasp of a voice still plays like a beautiful vintage instrument, lending some natural "everyman" gravity to the instrumental grandeur."

The ten-track record marks a fresh perspective for Hegarty's songwriting since his first EP releases through the fledgling Communion label back in 2011. Building on those primarily acoustic early outings, the new sound is enriched with the buzz and hum of both electronic and live beats.

The album also features a number of guests from the extended Communion family, including the production pair on multiple instruments, and the vocal of Australian Matt Corby on 'Another Way'.

Other Rivers is a moving, full-bodied piece of work that requires an investment of time to truly appreciate its deftness of touch, but crucially it introduces a new British songwriter with an ear for something more wholesome than simply a keening melody or two.

1. Into Gold
2. Pale Sun Rose
3. To The North
4. Out Of The Darkness
5. Counting Paths
6. Everything That Dies
7. Nowhere Now
8. A Memory Of You
9. Old Ceremony
10. Another Way