Arts & Entertainment
The Master of Musical Imagination: The Suitcase Junket Hits the Studio for New Project!
From "junkyard" spectacle to studio mastery, Matt Lorenz brings his fuzzed-out psych-rock and "masterful imagination" to a new album.
In the quiet of a New England winter, one of the most inventive forces in modern music is back at work. Matt Lorenz, the creative engine behind the acclaimed one-man-band The Suitcase Junket, has officially entered the studio to record his next release, following the success of his BMG/Renew Records debut, The End is New.
For the uninitiated, the "Suitcase Junket" experience is a study in contradictions: a performance that is grand in sonic scale yet rooted in a solitary, thrifty self-reliance. Lorenz, who homesteads in Western Massachusetts when not on the road, has built a reputation on a spectacle of showmanship that NPR describes as "gutsy, fuzzed-out, groove-laden psych rock."
A "Junkyard Foley Stage"
To see Lorenz live is to witness a "physics-defying" feat of coordination. His stage setup often resembles a cross between a junkyard and a vintage living room, utilizing found objects and salvaged instruments to create a wall of sound that rivals a full five-piece band.
Critics have long struggled to categorize the sound, with the Rochester City Newspaper describing it as "a lo-fi, low-tuned, low-down blast of end-times folk blues," comparing Lorenz to a cross between blues legend Hound Dog Taylor and a Tuvan throat singer.
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Focus on the Song
Despite the "jaw-dropping" nature of his one-man setup, Lorenz insists that the gadgetry is secondary to the songwriting. His lyrical world is a dense, cinematic landscape populated by diverse characters and narratives. His songs act as newsreels for the modern age, oscillating between themes of planetary destruction and the hope of salvage.
As WBUR Boston notes, "The music stands on its own... You don’t need to witness his physics-defying performance to be captivated."
What’s Next?
While The End is New brought Lorenz's "avant-garde" sensibilities to a wider audience, his current winter studio sessions promise a continuation of his evolution. Fans can expect the signature blend of weathered vocals, tenacious melodies, and the "master of musical imagination" quality that has made him a staple on NPR’s World Cafe.
While a release date for the new material has not yet been announced, the anticipation is high for what this "living, breathing, road-tested" artist will conjure next from his solitary laboratory of sound.
