Returning with perhaps his most vulnerable yet dynamic LP yet, Matt Moody has released his third studio album, The Misery County Line, today, October 10th, 2025.
From its sharp lyricism to its stripped-down mix of indie folk rock and singer-songwriter tracks, The Misery County Line is a record that will appeal to fans of today’s more toned down and intimate acoustic emo sound.
As Moody himself puts it, the album thematically wavers between “cerebral and geographical dissatisfaction.” The album looks at dissonance between the songwriter’s mind and the minds he has encountered both before and during his time in Los Angeles. Much in the spirit and tradition of his respective genres, he brings a sharp, confrontational pen to both his personal and political encounters in LA and beyond.
The album features four singles and a music video, many showcasing Moody’s respective skills as a writer in unveiling disillusionment and frustration.
His August single, “The Edge of It All,” is a to-the-point indie Americana shuffle number in which Moody narrates on multiple characters of his own invention. The people in this song deal with the strange loneliness and disillusionment that the American dream can cause in the lives of those who wander. The American legend of “manifest destiny” shows up in the first verse, beckoning the listener to consider the oddities of dreaming of a life reborn in the USA.
Following this is the September single, “Take it So,” which has an acoustic bed of sound perfect for getting out on the road. Here, Moody captures the “dark poeticism” of LA by contrasting the slow-burning struggle of moving to a new city to the image of the American metropolis as an incredible new opportunity. “There’s a change around the corner but but none inside my pockets,” he sings. It’s a somber yet perceptive take on everyday life in the glitzy giant that is The City of Angels.
Things take a hopeful turn with his final single, “Through Generations.”
Within the space set by soft and steady acoustic guitar, Moody yearns to be connected to something larger than himself. The first line, “I got mustard in my veins,” is a direct tribute to Moody’s father and the determination he adopted from him. Whether it’s through family, a lover, or God, Moody is looking to see things clearer through the LA smog.
A music video for the song “Cowboys” also precedes the record. About as stripped-back as the actual LP, this music video captures an intimate performance of one of the record’s softest cuts. It offers a little window into Moody’s presence as a songwriter and performer.
Other than his solo work, Moody has performed all over the country with various acts including Wax Owls, who played Bonnaroo in 2022 and Peachfest that same year and again in 2023. He’s co-written songs with Steve Cropper, Karen Staley, and John Corabi in his Nashville days as well. He’s also landed sync deals with his songs, as his music was featured on Grown-ish and How I Met Your Father.
The release of The Misery County Line will be followed by a few lives shows, including an album release show at Happy Dog tonight in Moody’s native city of Cleveland.
