'Imagined Sky' is the first solo record from Chicago-based guitarist and songwriter Matt Gold. Gold's open, creative approach to music making has flourished in his adopted home - "I value the cross-pollination and intermingling of the scenes; it's a beautifully collaborative city" - and his talents have been called upon by a diversity of boundary-crossing artists such as Makaya McCraven, Greg Ward, Sara Serpa, and Jamila Woods. Melody is at the center of Gold's music, whether he's edging towards post-rock power-trio antics with electric bassist Bryan Doherty and drummer Jeremy Cunningham, or exploring an abstracted Americana with acoustic guitar and whispering electronic textures. Imagined Sky also uses these elements to frame the direct, folk-tinged vocals of collaborators Sara Serpa and Macie Stewart, as well as Gold himself. "I've tried to stitch together the more improvisatory electric trio material with something more song-focused and concise, balancing these energies." 'Imagined Sky' finds Gold exploring the connections between the external and internal - the vast landscapes that erode and change, and one's inner world that evolves and adapts. Richly melodic, atmospheric yet accessible, unconstrained by genre but sure of its own identity, 'Imagined Sky' feels less like a debut and more like a culmination - an arrival point for an artist who has already quietly woven his voice into the fabric of Chicago's many musical communities.
