Matt Pryor

Confidence Man

Matt Pryor’s career has been a study in dependability, which is to say that he seldom releases bad songs let alone bad records. Confidence Man finds Pryor on his first solo production, home-recorded and sandpaper raw, a fearless, though not necessarily innovative, songwriter. No new ground is broken here, but his ability to consistently wield forceful pop-folk sonatas (such as the excellent “I’m Sorry Stephan”) with an unshakable brow maintains a commendable allure. Few of the 15 tracks on Confidence Man stray from Pryor’s tried-and-true alt-country root, with his simple lilt wavering in fragmented bliss, lamenting love and questioning truth. It’s a concoction built on repetition, but Pryor, luckily, is great enough of a songwriter to pull it off and make you wish you had someone close by to hold.

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