Pierce Pettis is an engaging vocalist and an excellent guitarist, but he’s primarily one of the preeminent songwriters of our time. Any disc of his is an event, and this one is no exception. His fifth album and second for Compass, Everything Matters is a series of self-portraits capturing the passion, longing, faith, release, compassion, and humanity that are Pierce Pettis. He wraps his baritone voice lovingly around clever phrases and rich, everyday language, which results in a fine disc by an artist of exceptional ability. – Sigmund Finman