Album Review: Wendy Matthews - The Welcome Fire

The easy option for Wendy Matthews would probably be to drop an album of standards for the Mother's Day market. That she chooses to collaborate with quality writers like Josh Pyke and Megan Washington is to her credit. Sure, this is no Rick Rubin-style artist reinvention a la Johnny Cash, but while these are mostly graceful adult pop songs, there is some intelligence and wit to the second guesses of Keeping My Distance, or the typical thoughtful swing of Pyke's Everything I've Done Wrong. Her voice still feels and aches, and draws you in. Just classy.