Mathijs Leeuwis, with his tousled hair, three-day beard and large glasses, looks just like Kane's guitarist, Dennis van Leeuwen, but all comparisons stop there. Leeuwis is a rootsy singer / songwriter with the blues in the gut. Despite the beautiful title, his debut Klei, Stront & Zand (2009) unremarkably passed by unobtrusively, but with Wachten Op De Klap the young songwriter from Waalwijk is
… going for a second chance. A striking asset is Leeuwis' husky voice. Typically such a spoken voice that you immediately fall for or that you rub against the hair. Yet that voice fits very well with the arrangements that sound warm due to the carefully placed dobros, slide guitars and a grunting Fender Rhodes. It keeps the record varied and because of that intimate sound you get the idea that Mathijs is playing in your living room. So we have to wait for the blow of the magic fairy who will make Mathijs Leeuwis a famous singer / songwriter. (PdK)more
