I imagine that if Mac Powell of Third Day were to record a solo acoustic record it would sound a lot like this. The problem is Matt Van Y is not Mac Powell. While he does mix up the guitar part between the ten tracks, Matt Van Y sounds like he's singing the same song ten times. Not an End in Itself is not a bad album in many ways, but looking at the other side of the coin it's not a good one in many ways.
This recording is a stereotype: the image of the singer/songwriter playing his guitar. I was reminded of all the open mic nights down at the coffee house listening to the local talent. Matt Van Y should stick to playing his guitar and leave the singing and songwriting to others.
