Texas Hill Country troubadour releases a very fine debut album.
Matthew Payne is a singer-songwriter from the delightfully named Dripping Springs near Austin, Texas. A short bio was included in Graeme Tait’s review of Payne’s excellent EP Coyote Howling Blues in his August 2025 EP RoundUp, available to read here.
On the new full length album (though it is only 30 minutes long) Better Times, the songs are more personal, detailing problems that he has had to, or is, overcoming, in his life- raising a child and caring for a parent with dementia, coping with being laid off from a job after a post-teaching career, relationship issues and the stresses in the father/son relationship. Other songs reflect on the natural environment with road trips to New Mexico or using the waterfalls near Dead Man’s Hole in a storm as a metaphor for the storms inside you when facing an agonising heartache. Payne cites Bruce Springsteen in his Nebraska phase, or Willie Nelson’s Red-Headed Stranger as his spiritual influences, though vocally he sounds more like Townes van Zandt or even Steve Earle. The accompaniment throughout the album is predominantly Payne’s acoustic guitar and harmonica, enhanced by the beautiful steel guitar or resonator of Marty Muse and the bass of Kevin Smith.
The album kicks off slowly with the title track (the centrepiece of the album), exploring being stuck in the middle with family issues and the employment issues he has, but hoping for things to improve. Focusing on the things he used to tell his students when he was a teacher: “I’m tryin to have faith in what I believe / tryin to believe better times come from these”. The next two tracks raise the pace with a couple of country blues songs; on Heartsick Payne reminisces about his childhood hometown, wishing he could go back. Down in the Valley finds him trying to embrace a more positive future, and there’s a great acoustic guitar solo as the song comes to an end. My Father’s Son is a highlight, a beautiful ballad that explores paternal strains and the need for them not to be repeated in the next generation: “Forgive me for the words I left unspoken / forgive me all I know is to run / forgive me for doin’ just what he done / I wish I weren’t my father’s son”.
Kid covers a similar theme, as Payne was “inspired by the heartbreak of seeing so many students deal with abuse at home”. On an album of really excellent songwriting and some eloquent playing, the outstanding track is probably the penultimate Slip Through Me, with just an acoustic guitar supporting Payne’s yearning vocal on a poignant, highly personal song.
You’ve got to admire the decision to give up a long career to follow your dream, but Payne has all the assets needed to succeed: a poetic lyricism and a very emotional and expressive voice. Terlingua, the final song, is possibly the best example of his considerable ability on both acoustic guitar and harmonica. Listeners will be able to relate to these ten songs. You should take a listen.
