It is difficult to group bands and singers today within a specific musical genre. No one wants a CD with all the same beats and jams that play off each other like the
one-time pop sensation Ace of Base. The new generation is breeding artists such as Matthew Alexander Inkala.
Inkala, from Crystal, Minn., began his musical experimentation during eighth grade. Armed with a saxophone, a pen, and inspiration from Edgar Allan Poe, Inkala began writing songs and has now perfected his craft.
In his “There I Go to Lose the Night” album, Inkala creates a perfect harmony between his soulful voice and profound lyrics. His passion for music paralyzes the listener, as in “Eric’s a Dancer,” in which Inkala depicts characteristics that cannot be seen, only felt. This a cappella track is sincere and honest, controlling you through its movements and lyrical arrangement.
The guitar is perfectly matched with vocals that announce artistic freedom. In “You Don’t Even Know,” Inkala jokes about musical censorship. He does not use a “smack in the face” method to touch the audience, but rather a “look at yourself” approach. The humor is obvious.
His voice and lyrics are similar to those of Dispatch, but he carries a wider range of vocal depth and a style that is very Midwestern while also urbane. Inkala knows how to control his music, using different tones and different pitches to create the mood he wants. In “Trainride,” Inkala takes the audience on an enjoyably confusing journey through a spaceship directed by a telephone operator. Despite the discordant concept, the result is musically agreeable.
Inkala’s magnificent blend of poetic lyrics and acoustic guitar loosens the strangling grip of suburbanite anxiety. The simplicity of the guitar and the rhythmical lyrics motivate. Is it 2 a.m., and are you feeling creative? Inkala, with his soothing vocals, will be just the thing to jump-start you.
Matthew Alexander Inkala’s “There I Go to Lose the Night” is refreshment for our hectic lives. It promotes new artistic movement and promotes individuality through strong, competent vocals. Inkala’s voice and style strikes you subconsciously, enhancing your senses and undermining the constraints of genre.
