Matt Wilson - Burnt, White and Blue (1998)

After being put through the major-label ringer with the quirky pop/rock outfit Trip Shakespeare and his subsequent moonlighting in various Twin Cities bands as a drummer, Matt Wilson marked his return to the music world as a singer/songwriter with Burnt, White and Blue. The clever and occasionally ridiculous lyrics and arrangements that were the hallmarks of Trip Shakespeare songs were retired with the band, and as this album makes clear, Wilson has refined a more sophisticated but no less exciting sound. From the gorgeous guitar and revitalizing chorus of the opening track "Sun Is Coming," to the wistful acoustic answering machine ballad that closes the album ("Hello Caller"), Burnt, White and Blue is wonderfully written and performed –- an engendering and gratifying listen from start to finish.