All the “For Better” Reasons - Matt DeAngelis Slows Down to Lift Us All Up!
- Esther
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
Last year, we praised Matt DeAngelis for turning quiet moments into revelations, songs that didn’t shout for attention but earned it through raw honesty, musical precision, and deep emotional resonance. Now, a year later, the Turnersville troubadour returns with “For Better”, a soulful soft-rock meditation that feels like both a continuation and an evolution. If his earlier work found strength in vulnerability, this finds clarity in stillness. It’s not just a song, it’s an artistic checkpoint. Where many artists chase the next trend, DeAngelis invites us to slow down, breathe, and remember who we are beneath the noise. With a sound that bridges the intimate storytelling of classic folk-rock and the thoughtful complexity of progressive pop, this new single proves that Matt isn’t just back, he’s moving forward with more purpose than ever. And in a world spinning faster by the minute, that might be the bravest move an artist can make!
Matt DeAngelis’ “For Better” plays like an indie rock parable, a reminder of what we lose when we forget how to simply be. From the first strum of guitar and snap of snare, there’s a familiar softness, reminiscent of classic folk-rock storytelling, yet layered with something more urgent. The track’s heartbeat is organic, live drums, expressive guitarwork, and a vocal tone that feels carved out of life experience. This is not the sound of an artist chasing trends. This is the sound of someone saying what needs to be said now. “For Better” cuts deep. The opening lines don’t mince words -
“Is this our society now? Can't love in a hurry / Don’t copy behaviour, stress is digging more graves than we even come up with…”
It’s reflective, yes, but also gently accusatory, like a friend nudging you to lift your eyes from the screen. DeAngelis is addressing the collective burnout we’ve all come to normalize, offering not a sermon, but a song that aches for clarity in the noise. The pre-chorus, “take time to listen and care” isn’t just a line, it’s a mantra. And then comes the chorus, riding in not with bombast, but with an uplifting groove that somehow feels both invigorating and restrained -
“Simplify your life, just be satisfied / You’d be surprised what you’ll find when you pray for better...”
This is where the song reveals its spiritual core—not religious in dogma, but grounded in faith, in reflection, in something deeper than consumption or speed. It helps that the musicianship surrounding these words is stellar. Guitarist Billy Kennedy, also co-producer, delivers tasteful, expressive solos that don’t overstay their welcome. Bassist Eric Bishop and drummer Cole Herudek provide a solid but unshowy foundation, allowing each chorus to breathe a little more freely than the last. And by the time we reach the bridge, “Oh my brother, you can do it / Don’t look back, only forward…” DeAngelis’s voice feels like it’s reaching out a hand. The song builds not toward a dramatic climax, but toward a slow, graceful fade, a final guitar solo, piano undertones drifting off like a conversation slowly dissolving into thought.
There’s an analog warmth to this track that feels increasingly rare in today’s music. That’s no accident. Recorded at The Gradwell House and Musicially Speaking Studios, “For Better” carries with it the fingerprints of real people in real rooms. The production, led by Kennedy, John DeAngelis (Matt’s father), and Tom Conran, is meticulous yet organic. There’s space in this mix—enough to let each element bloom, from the rich harmony vocals to the subtle textures that fill the corners without ever crowding the center. What’s most impressive is how intentional the whole package is. According to DeAngelis, the rhythm of the chorus, especially that drum pattern, was a turning point in the song’s development. That groove reflects the dichotomy at the heart of the song: a fast-paced world against a plea for slowing down.
Matt DeAngelis wears his influences proudly but never imitates. You’ll catch glimmers of Bowie’s theatrical edge, the progressive brushstrokes of early Genesis, and even the harmonic sophistication of acts like Weyes Blood or Muse. But it’s all filtered through Matt’s own lens, shaped by a lifetime of songwriting (he started at age eight), classical piano training, and personal struggles with OCD and anxiety that have informed not just his lyrics, but his perspective. His is a voice that sings with compassion, not condescension. He’s not lecturing from the mountaintop, he’s on the ground with us, asking the same questions. As DeAngelis puts it, the track was born from frustration with the increasing spiritual and emotional disconnect in a tech-driven society. But it’s not nihilistic. There’s hope here. The song invites us to reflect, to reconnect, to make peace with simplicity. It’s a wake-up call delivered not with panic, but with grace. And that mission extends into Matt’s real-world persona. A storm chaser (yes, a literal one), DeAngelis seems drawn to moments of natural intensity, the places where chaos meets calm. That duality is baked into his art. And this summer, he’ll be bringing that energy live across the Mid-Atlantic, hitting new stages from Atlantic City to Sea Isle City, keeping that connection to audience and community alive. If you’re tired of slick overproduction, empty hooks, or AI-spitballing the same old formulas, “For Better” is your exit ramp. This song offers more than melody, it offers perspective. Matt DeAngelis writes reminders, of what matters, of who we were before the screens and scrolls, and of who we still might become if we slow down long enough to ask. Stream it, share it, and let his voice remind you, there’s beauty in slowing down, and power in choosing presence. Your better might just begin with this song. Listen below!
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You can check out and follow Matt DeAngelis’ musical journey on his website here : https://www.mattdeangelismusic.com