The Gunshy
By user • Feb 1st, 2009 • Category: Band Bios
Tom Waits isn’t for everybody. And if the iconic, scruffy Californian takes some time to get used to, what chance does an even scruffier Pennsylvania transplant have at endearing himself upon first listen? But it’s at a second (and then a third, fourth, and fifth) go-round that Matt Arborgast’s phlegm-throated warble finally begins to sound passionate. It’s after the shock of his delivery wears away that the message takes hold and Arborgast’s somber, hauntingly lonesome stories begin to sound less like alcoholic ramblings and more like heartfelt confessions. Under the name The Gunshy as first a solo performer and now often accompanied by a full band, the Waits-like songwriter recites his dark poetry over plucked acoustic guitars and stomping folk arrangements. It’s a dirty brand of blue-collar lore nestled somewhere in the pages of backwoods middle-American literature, best heard in smoky saloons with dudes puffing unfiltered cigarettes and shooting homemade gin.
Chicago Innerview Magazine, February 2009
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