Nashville, Tennessee based indie rock singer/songwriter, Matt Sahadi recently dropped his sophomore EP, "Dreams That Kept Your Faith At Night" which dives into themes of "broken dreams, fading youth, disparity, and escapism."
TRACKLIST
Am I Living What I Always Dreamed Of?
Wastelands
Light Of Hope
Still Were Us
Drive All Night
Originally from Canton, Ohio, Matt Sahadi found a passion for songwriting and so he moved to the one place where it made sense to follow his dreams - Nashville, Tennessee. Although he is an incredible musician, artist and performer who can sing and play guitar like it's no one's business, Matt considers himself to be songwriter first and foremost. His lyricism and storytelling are compelling, honest, relatable and true. His words aren't meant to be just his, they're for the people who listen to take as their own. He released his debut single in 2021, titled "Light of Hope". From then on, he released 8 more singles which led up to his release of his debut EP earlier this year, "Propagated Sins". You heard me right! This EP we are about to go over is not only his second ever EP, but it's his second of this year alone. "Dream That Kept Your Faith At Night" is a collection of singles including his first and second singles from a few years back, "Light of Hope" and "Still Were Us", plus two songs released earlier this year in anticipation for the EP, "Am I Living What I Always Dreamed Of?" and "Drive All Night", plus a brand new song with the release of the EP to bring the concept all together, titled "Wastelands".
Am I Living What I Always Dreamed Of?
"Am I Living What I Always Dreamed Of?" starts this EP off strong with emotions running high as Matt Sahadi sings a story of a man who feels like he's trapped in a life he never wanted. This song has an intense soundscape, but the mood itself is very heartbreaking. The music consists of Matt's signature indie rock style, with layers of Americana and Country and just a slight hint of synth-wave. A sorrowful harmonica takes the stand a handful of times throughout the song, really setting the tone and teleporting you into the scene of the story. The lyricism uses imagery that pulls as your heartstrings, and the longer the song goes on, the more painful it gets. Matt uses this emotional, growling tone to sing of a place where it never stops raining, he's working his life away paycheck to paycheck, and he doesn't feel like himself anymore. I think we've all had those moments where we've felt like our lives aren't going the way we wanted them to - where the dreams we used have got lost somewhere along the way. Because of this, "Am I Living What I Always Dreamed Of?" will hit home to a lot of people.
Wastelands
"Wastelands" is the song that summarizes what this EP is all about. We get to hear the title within the lyrics during the bridge when Matt sings, "Used to have those dreams that kept your faith at night, where your daddy stuck around and your mother's still alive / You did your best each day and you made it out alright, you found yourself a girl and promised her a better life / But it's all a waste, unless you escape and break out from these lands". It's a super addicting, catchy tune about feeling lost in life and not seeming to be able to catch a break. Unfortunately though, you're the only one who can pull yourself out of the rut. You just have to believe that you're strong enough to do so. Using nostalgic pop/rock moves, this particular song gave me Harry Styles vibes with just a little bit more rusticism. "Wastelands" isn't just perfect for radio, but it written to keep the listener on their toes with it's groove switch ups and heavy emotion.
Light Of Hope
"Light Of Hope" was Matt Sahadi's debut single in 2021, and he's brought it back for it's moment to shine. It fits right in with the theme's of this EP, as it's about asking someone special to be there for you during your darkest times. Sometimes all we need is that one good thing to keep us from completely losing ourselves to all of the bad. "Light Of Hope" holds onto those nostalgic rock tones that we heard in "Wastelands", but has the soul and harmonica moments that we heard in "Am I Living What I Always Dreamed Of?". It's beautiful when you come to realize that Matt is taking elements from his roots, where his music all started, and intertwining them within his newest works of art. It's a full circle moment that connects everything together in this universe that Matt Sahadi has created for his listeners.
Still Were Us
Just like "Light Of Hope", "Still Were Us" was Matt Sahadi's second single which was released back in 2021; however, it still ties into this story that we're experiencing here within the "Dreams That Kept Your Faith At Night" EP. And when I say it ties in, I mean it really ties in. There's a lyric that stood out to me immediately - "Tracking through the wastelands of life, I'm turning every stone that I see / I'm chained to the broken and the promised, trying to find a reason to believe" - sound familiar? This song is about looking back on how a relationship used to be; when things were easy, the love was strong and it was just you two against the world - and wishing it was still like that. The raw pain behind Matt's voice is in this song makes for an extra emotional experience. What really makes this a stand out track is the guitar and saxophone solo. Not only that, but the lyrics are just, haunting - especially if you also have ever experienced such a heartbreaking loss of love like this.
Drive All Night
I want to start by saying, "Drive All Night" had my jaw on the floor. By the end of the track, alone in my room I audibly exclaimed "holy crap" with a wide-eyed expression on my face. Wow, what a perfect song to end this project on. "Drive All Night" is a whole experience within itself, using an 80's glam-rock inspired soundscape filled with synths, guitars, reverbed percussion and soaring vocals. It's cinematic, it's ethereal, it almost feels like being beamed up into a space ship while you're listening to it. The song is about being with someone who makes you forget everything when you're with them, to the point that you wish you could just drive around all night with them and not worry about what's coming the next day. From the vocals, to the production, to the lyrics, this song is a masterpiece and was hands down the right choice for the closing track!
Matt Sahadi - where do I even start? He is a master at his craft; the storytelling, the soundscapes, the emotion, the imagery... all the details he uses are exactly what we need more of in mainstream music today. He creates art that people can connect to; music that you can't just hear, but that you can feel, that you can see when you close your eyes. When it comes to his style, there isn't just one that can define him. He blends such a wide variety of genres that makes his music appeal to just about anyone. We're talking indie pop, indie rock, post-punk, new wave, synth-wave, dream-pop, shoegaze, modern pop/rock and more. I highly suggest that if you loved this EP, that you also listen to Matt's debut EP from earlier this year, "Propagated Sins". The best part is Matt is still just getting started, and I can't wait to see where he goes from here.
Written By Kaitlyn Nicole
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