If you have never heard an International Folk Music Awards winner, let Crys Matthews be your first. She has won the coveted Artist of the year and Song of the Year award not once but was the first person to have the honor of winning it twice! Hearing her latest single, have no doubts as to why. Matthews’ single, ‘Forged in Fire,’ out today is a social justice anthem with her signature sound, warm but commanding with a cadence that is almost percussive in its rhythm.
Using the metaphor of strengthening steel through heat to describe the current climate in the United States is brilliant. The heat of political and social tensions is painful but the rhythmic hammer strikes in the song suggest that the pain is shaping something and it will be useful and strong. Matthews’ rich, smoky sound deeply rooted in the sounds and traditions of the American South blend gospel, the grit of the blues, and the clarity of folk. If Tracy Chapman, Toshi Reagon, and Ruthie Foster have a shared sonic relative, Crys Matthews would be that musical cousin.
‘Forged in Fire’ starts as a single voice, Matthews’ lending a feeling of a personal moment in time. As the choir vocals enter, the song shifts from individual to collective, becoming a communal anthem and call to action. If the choir is the emotional payoff of the song, the blacksmithing sound of hammer striking an anvil serves as the rhythmic and metaphorical heartbeat. This sound is also an homage to the old work songs and spirituals that used rhythmic tools like hammers to keep time and keep spirits high during grueling labor. This intentional usage of the sound elevates the track from a traditional folk song to a visceral anthem of resistance.
Upcoming Shows:
April 11 Minneapolis, MN The Roots Cellar
April 17 Arlington Heights, IL Hey Nonny
May 2 Ridgeway, CO Ridgeway, CO
July 18 Bethlehem, PA Godfrey Daniels Live Music Listening Room
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