Matthew Payne - Better Times (2026)

*Better Times* is the debut full-length album from American singer-songwriter Matthew Payne, hailing from Austin, Texas. It is a release devoid of bells and whistles, relying instead on Payne’s engaging vocals and stripped-back, minimal musical accompaniment. The record evokes the spirit of Steve Earle and Gram Parsons, while the lyrics recall Bruce Springsteen during the era between the albums *Darkness on the Edge of Town* and *Nebraska*.

Payne grew up in Dripping Springs, a small town about 45 km east of Austin. He worked for nearly twenty years as an English and creative writing teacher. His debut EP, *Coyote Howlin Blues*, was released in 2025. He has been a finalist multiple times in the Kerrville Folk Festival’s New Folk Competition, an event dedicated to discovering promising new singer-songwriters.

All the songs on *Better Times* were written by Matthew Payne, who also co-produced the album with James Stevens. Stevens also contributes vocals and percussion, alongside Marty Muse on pedal steel and resonator, and Kevin Smith on bass, vocals, and percussion. With ten tracks and a runtime of just over half an hour, it is not a long record, but that hardly matters; it offers a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience.

On *Better Times*, Payne blends blues, folk, country, and a touch of bluegrass, sketching characters who are grappling with life’s hardships. This is evident in the country-tinged title track, which depicts a hopeless existence ("Lost my job, got no money comin in / My family needs more than I’m givin / I wanna be the man / My son looks up to / But I’m tired and I’m broken"). "Heartsick"—in which he sings about his hometown of Dripping Springs—is another country track, though one infused with a healthy dose of bluegrass. The almost sacred-sounding "Adilena"—featuring a beautifully melancholic harmonica—deals with unrequited love and the search for romance; themes that also resonate in the closing track, "Terlingua." ‘Name’ echoes Steve Earle, while the introspective ‘My Father’s Son’ sees Matthew Payne reflect emotionally on his relationship with his father and the influence he had on him (‘You know my father never found what he wanted / Never done what he wished he’d done / I wish I weren’t my father’s son’). Here, too, the blues harp lends a beautifully melancholic swing to the folk/country-style track. That the blues harp isn't limited to a melancholic sound is evident in ‘Kid’, one of the few somewhat uptempo songs.

Matthew Payne’s debut full-length album is a pleasing collection of songs that captures true-to-life characters in a compelling blend of folk, country, blues, and bluegrass.