Crys Matthews - Reclamation

Crys Matthews sings and writes freedom songs. Drawing from overlapping traditions informed by influences from Woody Guthrie to Holly Near to Sweet Honey In The Rock, Matthews – one of the most exciting and acclaimed voices in contemporary folk music – centers a vision of social justice that extends from the epic to the intimate, from societal transformation to personal refuge. She seeks “to amplify the voices of the unheard, to shed light on the unseen, and to be a steadfast reminder that hope and love are the truest pathways to equity and justice.” Her new album, Reclamation, extends and deepens this mission. Matthews presents a rich set of contemporary freedom songs that she and her collaborators weave from a rich tapestry of folk, country, pop, rock, R&B and the genre-less hybrids that have long characterized the work of innovative southern Black women like Matthews. The album greets our moment with the fire, heart, and insistence that it requires.