Matthew Perryman Jones’ first full length album since 2008, Land of the Living was produced by Cason Cooley (Katie Herzig) and was released on May 29th. The record could not have found a better birthplace than the elusive bohemian studio in Round Top, Texas, where it was recorded.

In each song there is a sense of wandering in the desert and wrestling with the angels. “Waking up the Dead” conveys the transition from mourning to once again feeling passionate about life. Matthew mirrors the poetry of Leonard Cohen when he sings, “You stand in the water with your arms crossed, groaning hallelujah.”

The song “The Angels Were Singing” delves into Jones’ grief over the recent loss of his father. He says, “I started running to feel more alive, to wake up my senses that slowly had died . . . each tear was a chorus, a sacred reprise, and I finally was grieving that long goodbye.”

MPJ has been a staple feature in the nationally acclaimed Ten Out of Tenn. Collective with fellow artists, Katie Herzig, Erin McCarley, Butterfly Boucher, Andrew Belle and others. He is currently getting ready to start touring in support of his upcoming album.

[audio:The Angels Were Singing.mp3|titles=The Angels Were Singing|artists=Matthew Perryman Jones]
“The Angels Were Singing” by Matthew Perryman Jones