Matt Krahula - When They Closed The World

Matt Krahula

When They Closed The World
​self-released; 2022

4.0 out of 5

By Dino DiMuro

Matt Krahula is a multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter and producer from Honolulu, Hawaii. Krahula’s group The Nightmare River Band (NRB) was a big success in New York City in the early 2010’s, with an album in the CMJ Top 40 and a single which was nominated for an Independent Music Award for Best Alt-Folk Song. In 2018 Krahula relocated to Oahu “…in search of new inspiration, quickly finding that Hawaii was just the change that was needed.” Recording his new EP When They Closed The World roughly spanned the worst months of the Covid shutdowns.

Conceptually, Krahula felt that “these overly complicated times called for a simpler approach to (my) music. The EP is meant to capture the moment I found myself in, both the quiet and the storm.” This seven-track pandemic-themed EP was recorded live in Krahula’s Honolulu apartment studio with no click tracks, like early folk records. Vocals and guitars were recorded together, and little effort was spent trying to eliminate small imperfections and the sounds of the outside world (though truthfully I couldn’t hear anything that didn’t need to be there). All songs were tracked in Pro Tools, then sent to Jonathan Jetter of Right Angle Recordings in New York City for mixing and mastering.

“Where Were You” is the short (40 second) opener: just acoustic guitar and a tentative, deeply human vocal. Having heard this album through, I now know this snippet is something of a preview for what’s coming. “Wednesday or Thursday” feels like classic sing-songy folk, with a bouncy acoustic pattern and rhyming couplets. I had the visual impression of an acoustic guitarist performing at a campfire, with each new vocal twist causing the camp group to react. “I’ve been picking up bones and sticks, now / I’ve been picking up everything / I’ve been picking guitar for days, now / You don’t know the shape I’m in.” One folkie who this reminded me of was David Bromberg. I should note here that Krahula’s recording quality is excellent, despite tracking vocals and guitar at the same time and using a small apartment as a studio.

“Apartment on the Ala Wai” continues the intimate quality Krahula’s established, but with a new sophistication to the chord patterns, mirroring the best of work of John Lennon in his Rubber Soul phase. The lyrics are also clever and heartfelt, centered on a small living space that acts as a refuge for a couple who may not be getting along with each other, or with life itself.

“Awake or Asleep” features Krahula on both guitar and standup bass, along with triple-tracked vocals and a string arrangement (!), so this track’s a bit more complex than the previous songs. Though I really do like Krahula’s simpler folk style, this composition gives you a great idea what he can do with a “wider pallet” featuring more instruments and tracks. The song itself is another fine folk lament with a melodic build that comes close to classical music. Krahula’s vocals remind me of the lead singer of The Weakerthans. Sound quality is beyond excellent!

“I Guess I’ll Stay Inside” is a slow and gentle lament about the sad state of the world. “If we all gave when we just take / then we would always have a world to save / but the world can be a crazy place / so I guess I’ll stay inside today.” At this point in the song, Krahula underlines his point with deep, sonorous cellos, followed by a full string section. I’m guessing Krahula is also his own orchestra, which is amazing if true.

“When They Closed The World” completes the song begun at the very top, “Where Were You.” This one is six minutes long and takes its time to tell the stories of the people who have slowly disappeared from Krahula’s life. There’s an interesting instrumental section where Krahula takes a sort of high pitched “humming” solo. The title of the final song “Shape I’m In” may look familiar, as it’s actually a goofy sing-along version of “Wednesday or Thursday” with chunky electric guitar, drum beats and harmonica, and sounds even more like a song by The Weakerthans. At any rate it’s a surprising and fun conclusion.

​This is a unique but recognizably folky set of songs, with most moving beyond that simpler genre into something a bit more rich and complex. Definitely worth a listen and a follow!

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