After the self-released Somedays and Twentythree Places, Nashville's Matt Wertz signed up with a proper label for Everything in Between. On his third full-length, the Missouri-bred troubadour mixes pop, folk, and blues into an easygoing, yet ebullient sound. As he exults on "The Way I Feel," "Everything inside of me is singin' out." You can hear Dave Matthews, John Mayer, and if you listen really closely, even Michael Jackson, circa Off The Wall, in Wertz's soulful voice (see "Naturally" for proof). Not too surprisingly, Wertz claims all three as influences, along with James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, and Hall & Oates. Interestingly, he also cites the seriously uncool Doobie Brothers and Toto, but the lack of pretension is refreshing. Aside from "The Way I Feel," the propulsive "Heartbreaker," which evokes the Supremes' "You Can't Hurry Love," is another catchy tune that deserves a lot of airplay. -- Kathleen C. Fennessy
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