Matthew Dean Herman is 'a mixture of Neil Young and a toned-down version of Tom Waits. He refined his guitar skills throughout his adolescence and began seriously writing songs in his mid-twenties, drawing inspiration from the classic country and Southern rock of his youth, and from contemporary alternative bands like The Hold Steady and My Morning Jacket.' 'Blackbird is a country-infused blend of rock songs about beer, fishing, run-ins with the law, and, predominantly, love gone wrong.' Anchorage Press, 2/12/09.