Blending the political and the personal with traditional genres and forging a spiritual and emotional bond with the listener is every bit as challenging and rewarding as it might sound, but that is the lofty goal of A Clearing, a one-man band consisting of Washington, D.C. native and Adelaide transplant Matthew A. Saunders.

Having released the low-key 1/2 Mast e.p. last year, this year finds A Clearing expanding its musical and thematic ambitions to the album-length release, Prism.

Once again playing all instruments, including vocals, guitar, bass, and drums, Matt has crafted a traditional rock record exploring the gray areas between want and need, inspiration and obligation, young and old, growth and change.

Mixing standard rock progressions with his own melodic blend and the occasional psychedelic flourish, Prism is essentially a rapid succession of catchy uptempo rock songs followed by a handful of quieter acoustic numbers.

A Clearing plans to support Prism with acoustic shows at first, and may even assemble a band to recreate the album's sound as things progress.

1/2 Mast E.P. and Early Electronic Works available for free on mp3 at mattclearing.com.