Matthew Fowler at the Raccoon Motel -- August 15.
Tuesday, August 15, 7 p.m.
Raccoon Motel, 315 East Second Street, Davenport IA
Lauded by PopMatters as an alternative-folk singer/songwriter who "sits comfortably amongst the likes of Ray LaMontagne and Damien Rice with his smoky vocals and keen ability to strike an emotional chord," Florida musician Matthew Fowler headlines an August 15 concert event at Davenport's Raccoon Motel, the artist's most recent recording inspiring A Green Man to rave, "If you enjoy creative independent folk music at all, you owe it to yourself to check out The Grief We Gave Our Mother.”
Originally from Orlando, Fowler released his debut album Beginnings in 2014 when the nascent artist wasn't even 20 years old. The recording was comprised of songs written between ages 14 and 19, and Fowler quickly went on to perform on a number of NPR and college stations, also opening for the likes of Sea Wolf, Angel Olsen, and Richard Thompson. His reviews for Beginnings, meanwhile, established Fowler as a protean talent from the start. “Matthew Fowler still plays the same Yamaha FX-335 acoustic guitar his parents gave him at the age of 14," wrote Americana Highways. "Which is not so remarkable, when you take into account that that was only five years ago. At 19 years old, Fowler shows the same mastery of earnest, strummy songcraft as established artists like Damien Rice and Ben Howard.”
And the singer/songwriter's raves continued to escalate for his 2021 studio-album debut The Grief We Gave Our Mother. With the recording arriving seven years after Beginnings, Under the Radar magazine wrote, "In the intervening years, his songcraft has only gotten more fervent and earnest, with his latest effort laying bare long-held confessions and stirring meditations amidst the gentle swell of his honeyed vocals.” American Songwriter stated, "The Grief We Gave Our Mother carries self-defining moments of the past that will give listeners a tinge of déjà vu. Each track is beautifully relatable and, occasionally, heartbreakingly familiar.” Entertainment Focus, meanwhile, extoled that "The Grief We Gave Our Mother is a passionate, emotive, and deeply involving record. It’s one of those you need to live with for a while and keep going back to, as it demands you unravel its lyrical layers. Deeply personal and at times stunningly beautiful, the record is one that should see Fowler gain a wider platform. There are few artists making this kind of stripped-back, raw music anymore so Fowler is an artist that should be embraced and appreciated.”
Matthew Fowler headlines his Davenport engagement on August 15, admission to the 7 p.m. concert is $12, and tickets are available by visiting TheRaccoonMotel.com.
