Artist:     Matt Patershuk

Album:     If Wishes Were Horses

Label:     Black Hen Music

Release Date:     11.1.2019

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Canada has given us some incredible musicians. With hints of Ian Tyson, Matt Patershuk blends human sagas with the backdrop of his Alberta home. From the start, If Wishes Were Horses flows smoothly from stories of Ernest Tubb, Jimmie Rodgers, and Johnny Paycheck to an honest, simply-stated cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Sugaree.” The interplay of instruments throughout, be it tinkling piano strings giving way to the distinct harmonica of Charlie McCoy or a pedal steel worthy of Buddy Emmons or Tom Brumley, unite each verse.

Patershuk’s genre-defying storytelling creates images that embrace the country heritage of Hank Williams and the homespun tales of John Prine. The unforced soft growl of his vocals creates an intimacy in every word he sings, whether he’s having fun (“Let’s Give This Bottle a Black Eye”) or pensive and sentimental (“Circus”). A small town juke box appears to take the stage in “Alberta Waltz,” where two lovers alone on the floor have “aching hands and throbbing hearts.” Patti Page is certainly wiping tears from her eyes. From there, “Velvet Bulldozer” transforms the bar into a 1950s blues joint where Albert King takes the small stage by storm.

Whether drinking, dancing, reminiscing, or “finding something that matters” in “Last Dance,” If Wishes Were Horses examines real life through Matt’s intimate stories of life, love, and honesty.

—Gene Knapp