A MAN. A guitar. And a song.

It sounds simple, doesn’t it? And it is.

Scott Matthews’ new record, The Great Untold, is a career-defining masterpiece, released ahead of his live performance at Winchester's Guildhall tomorrow evening.

The sixth studio album by the Ivor Novello Award-winning singer-songwriter is a largely acoustic recording, recorded at home and in acoustically resonant rural churches, instrumentation has been jettisoned. His ten-song cycle is the sound of a man comfortable in his own skin, putting his neck on the line with a collection of otherworldly songs.

In many ways, The Great Untold is the start of a new era for Matthews. Since his debut album, Passing Stranger, in 2006, the Wolverhampton-born star of bluesy acoustica has refined his craft. Writing deft and sensitive songs during a trajectory that begin with the ethereal Elusive, The Great Untold marks a brand new beginning.

Matthews is recently married, soon-to-experience fatherhood and has new hopes and fears, new stories to tell. "After Home Part 2 was finished, I was looking to move forward by marrying harmony with my experiences since the last record," he explains. "The plan to write an acoustic record has always been there. And finally the time is right to do that.”

Matthews has tested himself as a songwriter to make a connection with his audience.

"It takes me out of my comfort zone and has made me test myself," he adds. "I’ve pared it down to guitar and vocals. At the beginning, there was nobody else. It’s time to surprise myself. It’s time to go back to my own world. I’ve gone full circle.

"It’s a collection of songs that lots of people will relate to. It’s a real mood-shift of a record. The songs always start from a personal angle, but listeners will hear them in different ways.

"When I’m writing, I’m almost hearing voices from The Masters and thinking: ‘Would they approve?

"I want to move somebody with the power of moods and music. It’s very powerful stuff."