Press Clippings

Music Meds by Mel: Review of “Comets”
“Matt Tarka entices the listener to dig deep into the intriguing lyrics of “Comets” while also experiencing a flashback to the 70s era with a trippy vibe in the instrumentation of this track. Tarka’s artistic approach to creating his music is what makes him a unique singer/songwriter. It’s hard to compare his music to anyone else out there because he’s truly one of a kind.”

Americana Highways: Song Premiere - Matt Tarka “Comets”
“Comets uses suspense and sustain to conjure the sunrise and takes a turn into questioning.  Matt Tarka uses his songwriter’s vocabulary to remind us of the intangibles of the human experience.   “Offer me a glimpse of who you are, while perfect strangers make believe.” Do we ever truly know another person?  Likely not. So what’s it all for?  Listen and consider.”

“Comets was born out of sleep deprivation. Each protagonist in this song is trying to be a good version of themselves, though obstacles like immaturity and self-sabotage get in the way and alter their perceived realities.” — Matt Tarka

Alchemical Records: Matt Tarka Smashes With “Comets” - December 1, 2021

“…It is a dreamy, fluffy, warm track, which he says might be called ‘a murder ballad of sorts.’ Tarka has shown consistent authenticity with his message and earnestness to express himself, both in songwriting and performance, and his latest track is no exception…”

MusicTAP: EXCLUSIVE SINGLE PREMIERE: MATT TARKA, “Postcards” - Released October 8, 2021

Alchemical Records: Matt Tarka Overcomes Nostalgia with New Single ‘Postcards’ - October 27, 2021

From the opening strums of the guitar, you can tell that Matt Tarka’s new single “Postcards” is going to be a feel-good Americana jam that will be worth pressing the repeat button for. Fans of Bruce Springsteen or late Tom Petty will surely do a double take as the twanging lead guitar and gentle background synthesizers bring a contemporary approach to a classic rock feel.

Based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, this is the latest of a string of singles released in 2021 for the folk-rock aficionado. From the get-go, there’s an activation of nostalgia just from the mention of sending a postcard in the age of digital communication. As Tarka continually returns to the lyrical motif, “Send a postcard…”, it is often followed by possible promises it could contain, “… with a promise of a better life tomorrow” or “with a promise that I’ll dream of you all night.”

Ultimately, he reveals in the chorus that he may be speaking directly to a specific person in his life: “You wanna know everything / I don’t blame you anymore.” And later, “You wanna try and explain / I don’t blame you anymore.” Perhaps Tarka has been receiving these postcard promises from someone who is no longer immediately accessible.

Listeners seem to be getting glimpses into the life of someone emotionally significant to Tarka from whom he has become detached. Interestingly, the vibe isn’t sad or mopey despite this kind of sensual introspection. “Postcards” maintains an uplifting energy that demonstrates resilience and perseverance occurring at a moment when someone with less emotional intelligence might have been trapped by the weight of these poetic, passionate, and nostalgic letters.”

Music Meds by Mel: “Postcards”

“Postcards.  The idea of sending a postcard seems so archaic, yet it also brings you back to simpler times.  Back when the only way to contact someone was through a letter, postcard, or a phone call on your home line.  You’d get a postcard if a friend or family member was traveling or if they lived far away.  Postcards were always short and sweet since you had limited space to write…

With lyrics like, “you wanna know everything, and I don’t blame you anymore,” it’s almost as though Tarka is speaking to the younger generation (or any generation these days).  Everyone wants to know everything at every minute of the day.  That’s why we spend so much time scrolling through our social media timelines because we have this obsession with being in the know.  With a postcard, you can’t say everything.  You have to keep it to a minimum.  When you think of it, Twitter is almost like the modern day postcard restricting the audience to a 140 character limit.  When Tarka sings, “I don’t blame you,” it’s like he’s saying that he doesn’t blame you because he’s guilty of it, too.  We’re all guilty of wanting to be in the know all the time.

Matt Tarka’s “Postcards” is very thought provoking.   It’s as though Tarka is saying, you don’t have to know everything, you can just keep it short.  Things were less complicated when we were sending postcards.  Maybe he’s telling the listener that if you go back to a simple way of living and appreciate the little things, then you won’t be as stressed or worrisome.  Step away from the social media timelines and the need to know everything and get back to basics.”

Alchemical Records: “Matt Tarka’s ‘Heartbreak & Euphoria’ Explores the Trials and Triumphs of Life’s Journey”

“Matt Tarka has a penchant for a type of songwriting that works only with his voice, and that is a beautiful thing. In fact, it is the mark of an artist who is well on his, her, or their way to carving out a niche that will fulfill a need for something truly special and real.

Tarka is already there, and you can’t help but tap your foot and smile when listening to him serenade you…to truly experience Tarka’s art, you’ve got to just listen – preferably while driving down the highway on a bright and sunny day.

When he remarks, “make concessions, forgive the past…regain your footing and what you knew” it’s hard not to feel comforted and reassured, all to the backdrop of one of the most roadworthy upbeat alternative rock singles we’ve heard all year. Take your time and take it in, and see and hear right here why Matt Tarka’s newest single “Heartbreak & Euphoria” is one we’ll have on repeat for the rest of the summer, and maybe even for the rest of the year.

Paris of Harrisburg: “Review of Heartbreak & Euphoria”
“Tarka has a voice that shares a lot of qualities with Ben Gibbard (of Death Cab for Cutie, The Postal Service) and others of his ilk, drawing a clear line through the musical trends of the past three decades. He pays homage without feeling derivative, like restoring an old car with a brand new engine. It's not something you knew you were totally in the mood to listen to because it's not something you knew existed.”


Music Meds by Mel: “Review of Heartbreak & Euphoria”
“Tarka continues to write lyrics that are not only thought-provoking, but poetic…When you hear the music in ‘Heartbreak & Euphoria,’ you’ll travel back in time to bands like REM or Gin Blossoms with the 90s alternative rock vibe.”

Alchemical Records: “Matt Tarka’s ‘Good Morning, Sympathy’ Born from Moving Encounter with a Stranger”
“…A poppy, upbeat tune absolutely baked with a certain sense of much-needed optimism…”

Prism Reviews: “Good Morning Sympathy”
”His art is a service to his listener, inspiration spilling over beautifully through the sounds. It doesn’t spoon-feed you, however, and the story must be pieced together like a puzzle, with a metaphor here and an admonition there…This was a pleasing discovery, and Matt’s voice is now part of my musical DNA.”

Alchemical Records: Matt Tarka – Stands Out Of The “Crowds”
"This upbeat rock song with soaring slide guitar sets the stage for the track’s lead character intent on ‘manipulating all the crowds,’ and it makes for great art to have these dark lyrical overtones mingled with such optimistic sounding music.”

The Big Takeover - Song Premiere: “Crowds”
"A socio-politically relevant number that speaks to our times (and through the ages). The vibrant storyteller sweeps by with brisk guitar strum and riffs, dynamic piano push, emphatic drum and cymbals strikes, and Tarka’s brightly earnest vocals.”

Music Meds by Mel - PREMIERE for single, “Good Morning, Sympathy”
“In the first few seconds of “Good Morning, Sympathy,” (“GMS”) you’ll immediately gravitate toward the drums.  It’s evident this will be a track with a great beat to tap your toes to.  As the rest of the music kicks in a couple seconds later, it won’t just be your toes moving, but your whole body will join in.  As Tarka joins in with his vocals, the listener may hear a slight resemblance to R.E.M. (might have a bit to do with the fact “GMS” was mixed by the legendary Mitch Easter, who has worked with R.E.M.).
As you listen for the third or fourth time (because you will listen more than once), you may start to really dive into the thought provoking lyrics of “GMS.”  In the first half of the song, lyrics like, ‘Question your surroundings, is there a master plan?  Oh yes, my friend, there is, you better take command,’ will really have you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out the meaning behind this track.  Near the end of the song, Tarka sings a similar, but slightly different lyric, ‘Question your surroundings, every day you can.  Oh yes, my friend, believe you understand.’ Matt Tarka’s, “Good Morning, Sympathy” is well-produced with each player contributing to this masterpiece that will have the listener doing some questioning of their own like, ‘when will I be hearing this song through my radio waves?’”

Alchemical Records - Matt Tarka’s “Good Morning, Sympathy”
"Ever since Matt Tarka’s Motorcycle Breakfast, fans have been fueled by the authentic sound and feel of his music. It stems from Tarka’s no-nonsense vision that includes not only the end result, but also the environments and experiences he hopes to have along the way. His latest release, ‘Good Morning Sympathy’ seems part recognition of his own struggles with a world that isn’t always living up to personal expectations & hopes, and part sympathy for others having similar encounters with what the day brings; a reminder to give ourselves and one another a little more patience every morning.”


Stereo Embers Album Premiere - Vison Hazy
The latest EP from DC-based singer-songwriter Matt Tarka, Vision Hazy, is a rotating photo album of bright memories and golden nostalgia that winds along an open road. The EP, which was mixed by Mitch Easter (R.E.M., Dinosaur Jr.), has melodic highs and sentimental moments of contemplation. While primarily upbeat, the harmony-driven power pop sunset of “Selling Roses” smoothes out an Americana landscape. Others, like “Midnight Sun”, highlight the vulnerability and honesty in Tarka’s voice and delivery. Perfect for the open road, or the warm embrace of a turntable, Vision Hazy wafts like the wind, drifting off somewhere without expectation or pretense.


Notes From Left of the Dial
Tarka deals in overwhelming emotional experiences and the persistence of haunted memories, which works quite nicely as a counterpoint to his proclivity for creating upbeat power-pop melodies. This mix of colorful rhythms and darkly introspective narratives allows each phrase and musical movement to reflect the depth and history of each story drawn from his own life. There are flashes of light, of course—Tarka doesn’t languish in the shadows. He merely uses their fringes to add weight to his music. With the forthcoming release of his new EP, “Vision Hazy,” he’ll continue to blend honest sentiment and broad universal truth with a distinctly pop-laced attitude.

On his latest single, “Time Travels,” Tarka explores a collapsing mental head space and the ensuing devastation brought on by physical deterioration. His power-pop tendencies act as a foil to the darker emotions that swirl around and inhabit the notes and melodies of the song. But he doesn’t lay in this melancholy without a sense of resolution—he turns a dire sense of inevitability into a hopeful outlook on the future. The drums splash and echo while his voice works its way inside a collection of wavering organ lines and shimmering guitar rhythms. There’s an infectious optimism that eventually emerges, an idea that while days will be dark and hearts will be broken, there will come a time when the sun’s light will reach your face again.


PopShifter 
“Matt Tarka is a DC-based indie pop time warp. On his EP, Surely Late, he evokes the hazy,  early days of college radio (remember that? What do they even call that now?) with powerful  melodies, a bit of sugary sweetness, and a delightful propulsiveness that belies the heartache  that provides the lyrical matter. It’s a four-song chunk of solid songwriting and catchiness, and  an interesting introduction.” 

PopDose 
“…These songs are catchy and equal “instant classic”, with their acoustic driven pop feel,  harmonies and crisp twanging guitars. 

“Very Little” is pop with a capital “P”, riff and rhythmically meaty, sharp and biting lyrics and  easily embraceable; “Now Or Never” is reminiscent of mid-to-late ’80’s college radio (think  R.E.M., The Ocean Blue or The Connells), filled starts and stops, boisterous organ and standout  guitar fills; the title track has that “new wave”-ness that reminds me of (frankly) my own bands  (Two Minutes Hate, as we improved and the earliest things we attempted as we morphed into  The Punch Line) – straight ahead, pop construction but with motor; “Bring A Glass” is the  surprise – slower, twinges of gospel and country and sadly sweet harmonies (listen to those  guitar notes – fantastic).” 

Paste 
“Weaving isolated instances of heartbreak and rejection, he creates a sound that remedies  nostalgia while still delighting with melodic surprise.” 

Magnet 
“[Very Little] is very ’90s acoustic radio rock, with a very candid look at a very upsetting romantic  situation.” 

Nooga.com's Notes from the Left of the Dial 
“Matt Tarka inhabits a world of heartache, loss and hope—the usual haunts for a singer songwriter whose work revolves around some distinctly universal themes. But the details and  experiences he uses as the foundation of his work are truly unique and give each song specific  altitude and meaning. His voice possesses an insular twang and wobble, the perfect vehicle for  these weary ruminations. It's not unlike the specific vocal tenacity of a musician like John  Darnielle of The Mountain Goats, but Tarka develops and maintains a pointed individuality that  lends each song a remarkable emotional resonance.”

Elmore Magazine 
“The EP opens with “Now Or Never” as Tarka’s distinct voice starts soft with bare guitar strums  then bounces right into an old-school pop-rock 80s sound. Even singing seemingly hopeless  lines like “We have lost our way,” he offers solace immediately with positive solutions like  making amends to his mistakes, all over a bed of constant, wailing rock instrumentation.” 

Wordkrapht 
“There’s layers and depth to the music, vocals and lyrics which makes for a great listen and makes us eager to hear more.”