It is by no means exaggeration to proclaim Cameron Matthews that artist. Here is a performer whose talents far surpass his physiological age of 20. His music wows in its uniqueness and timelessness. The songs he sings have that grounded, deeply rooted feel, the lyrics intelligent, introspective, at times poetic, his voice comfortable yet classic.

His sound projects that of an older time, when music was the pinnacle of experience and art. With roots tied to folk music and '60s and '70s rock 'n' roll, Cameron has crafted a unique—and jaw-droppingly good—, a combination of powerful vocals and smart songwriting.

In honing his craft, Cameron dove into music and musicians, drawing inspiration from such songwriters as Elliot Smith—"single-handedly the best songwriter of the past two decades; he holds my hand when I write songs"—Ryan Adams—"he plays every genre and sings from the heart; he is a total diva and I hate him, but I love him at the same time"—and Bob Dylan. He draws inspiration like breath, equally influenced by country, indie rock, classic rock, delta blues and '80s wave.

In 2007, the strength of Cameron's songs won him a top slot on the MTVU Best Music on Campus Invasion Tour in Austin. Whisked to Texas from his St. Louis home, he opened for The Shins, The Academy Is, Shiny Toy Guns and The Rapture. The universe, it seemed, was poised to recognize this young musician's abnormally astronomical talent.

With the November release of his second CD, Cameron's talent will be on full display, the aural equivalent of scrawling his name in chunky black marker across a tiled wall. Playing, says Cameron, is "some sort of cathartic and hallucinogenic experience." As is listening, o artist; as is listening.