Happiness is an elusive thing. That’s part of the point of “Happy,” the opening song on Nashville singer/songwriter Matthew Perryman Jones’ new album “Waking Hours,” his seventh studio record.
Sometimes we get everything we wanted and everything we need and we are still plagued by discontent. Love plays a role in this story. The pursuit of love can feel like the thing that’s driving us toward happiness, through our connection with someone else, but love, when it goes wrong or sours, can pull us out of ourselves and leave us feeling like our core essence has vanished. And the fear of loss can hobble us emotionally, too.
These are the themes that weave through “Waking Hours.” Sadness is potent medicine, and Jones works to tap into its strength without letting the darkness take over. His voice is sturdy and warm, not needing much to bolster it.
You might hear a connection to artists like Andrew Byrd, Ryan Adams and Nada Surf. Jones’ material is interesting because it’s very much lyric-based, with the words sitting in the front of his songs, but the atmosphere and the melodies seem to be central too. Jones closes the new record out with a fittingly tender and skeletal cover of Tom Waits’ “Take It With Me.”
See Matthew Perryman Jones at Cafe Nine, 250 State St., New Haven, on Oct. 21 at 8:30 p.m. $12. 203-789-8281 or cafenine.com
