Today, Matt Urmy announces South of the Sky – a bold lyrical tour de force and concept album exploring, and celebrating, the multitudes of human life and the enigma of time – out January 15, 2021. Urmy uses his trained ear for classic Americana, a mix of strong melodies and spoken-word poetry revitalized to speak to today’s world, to address what unites us: the inevitability of coming to grips with our place in society, politics, relationships (with others and ourselves), and spirituality.
For Urmy’s sophomore album, he split up his record with a very specific intention: Side A and B of South of the Sky mirror each other, as each song has its own sibling track to bring out new depth, sonically and lyrically, to Matt’s storytelling. “You could compare the form of the album to Dante’s, Divine Comedy,” says Urmy. “Dante is guided by Virgil down through Hell, then back up through Purgatory, and ultimately, to Paradise.” Album opener “Build Your Wings” is an invocation, a call to the listener that it’s the beginning of a journey, while its sibling track and closer “South of the Sky” is a benediction that looks back over the journey, and what lies ahead.
“Raging Hearts” explores the positive and redemptive side of action in the face of social unrest, while its sibling song and lead single “Ghosts of a Revolution” examines the stark reality of social movements and our collective responsibility to protest.
LISTEN TO “GHOST OF AN OLD REVOLUTION”: https://youtu.be/IFjaK4VMFZc
