I haven’t actually seen them live with Matt yet (one more week) but from what I’ve found on youtube, Matt’s doing a damn good job. He adds alot of energy to the stage (he likes to jump around the stage and bounces around alot while he plays the sax, whereas Scott internalized his energy alot more). His vocals may not be up to par with Scott’s (as i doubt anyone’s in this band ever will be) but he’s improved a hell of alot since he started at the beginning of this year. My exhibits:
Slow Down – At around 2:55, Matt’s singing the outro chorus. You can tell he’s struggling with the notes a bit (as anyone who’s not Scott certainly would) but he definitely comes 99% close to nailing the part, and it sounds great.
The Set Up – Vocal solo at 2:50. The way he sings it is closer to the studio versions then the versions Scott would sing live, and he makes it work. Sounds good.
Take On Me – At around 8:35, Aaron lets Matt take the reins for the last part of Take On Me, and it sounds awesome. Seriously, Take On Me is a tough song to sing without going into falsetto, and Matt hits the nail on the head.
In short, he’s an awesome addition to an awesome band.
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