Home > St. Louis Music > CD Review > Matthew Ryan, 'Matthew Ryan vs. the Silver State'

Backstory: Though both commercial and critical success have mostly passed him by, Delaware-via-Pennsylvania singer-songwriter Matthew Ryan has been spending the past decade-plus honing smart, melodic songs that call to mind career artists like Paul Westerberg and Bob Dylan for albums like this—his eleventh.

Why you should care: Though you may never have heard of Ryan, you're most likely familiar with many of the artists his pain-filled ruminations are reminiscent of—artists like Bright Eyes and Josh Ritter, with whom Ryan shares an interest in both songcraft and accessibility.

Verdict: Voice-crack imperfections on “Meet Me by the River” and the train-driving bass of “Drunk and Disappointed” are among the myriad charms of “Matthew Ryan vs. the Silver State,” which often successfully walks the line between Spingsteenish everyman growl and Matchbox Twenty–like popisms. It's the lyrics, though, that make Ryan stand out: whether writing about a date at Applebee’s or pining for a friend who once was in love with the Clash, Ryan's adept at making his personal experiences widely resonate.

X-Factor: Three of Ryan's songs were featured back in the day on “Dawson's Creek.”

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