Matt Long is a Tallahassee, Florida based acoustic guitarist who found his calling in the mountains of Colorado. With help from some friends, he has taken his guitar shows to an extreme. His shows are mainly made up of Long and a guitar, but with his EP A Little Bit Closer, he's getting closer to that great production sound.

The EP begins with "Little Bit Closer," a mix of the movie 9 to 5 and "Sesame Street" but becomes a fine blues piano tune. Matt's vocals are extremely similar to James Taylor with lyrics that, dare I say, don't fall too far from the moniker either. "Girlfriend" is a catchy silly acoustic tune affirming the challenges of that significant other. "Free," the highlight of the EP, slows things down with a Worship filled joyous anthem of Spiritual freedom. "Mt. Song" shows how his writing bleeds into his daily life living in the mountains.

I am very impressed by the music, the production, and the man. Long definitely has that songwriter's touch and I can see him being a hit at any Youth event. It is safe to say that Matt Long is unquestionably a little bit closer to that ideal sound.

- Review date: 3/2/02, written by Blake Garris