by Douglas Holder

The noted poet and critic Hugh Fox, when reviewing a collection of Jennifer Matthews’ poetry, wrote: “ she is an accessible visionary.”

This could also be said of Matthews’ music as well. This Somerville-area artist has just released a new CD “The Wheel,” which displays her signature break-the-mold music and her spiritual and visionary lyricism.

Matthews, a well-known and respected as a rock musician and vocalist on the local scene, is fast-making herself a presence on the national and international level.

Her new album was developed organically with her evolution into a mature artist, she said. “I found when I was in the whole recording process of this album everything in my life seemed to be coming full circle.”

Matthews, said she has been a conventional being, holed up with her band in a dilapidated old hotel in frosty, rural Vermont to record the record.

The hotel provided a down-at-the-heels charms this space provided, she said. “It was great for the creative flow because it had a certain personality, with high ceilings and open space. It was great room for the band to connect in and it inspired energy.”

Fortunately for Matthews the chemistry among her accomplished band mates was excellent, she said.

The poet-singer-songwriter has a long-standing professional relationship with many of them, and once they were all alone, away from their real lives, together in the same room, the musical sparks flew, she said.

Matthews said the project would have never worked if she did not treat each band member as an individual. “The drummer, Rohin Khemani, and I have been playing together on and off for years. The lead guitarist, Sal Baglio and I had a certain fire as soon as we picked up guitars together and started playing. Same for the electric mandolin, Matt Glover, who floors me every time we play, and the bassist, Noah Jarrett, was introduced to me by the drummer, so they had a great feel together.

Everybody buckled down and put their all into the takes and I think that it is really evident when you listen to it,” she said.

Matthews, the published poet, has books archived at the Harvard and Buffalo University libraries, and is a probing writer.

Her lyrics are infused with ontological questions and visionary quests that flow from her practice of Sufism. The title song, “The Wheel,” was written after a four-day meditation retreat.

In this passage from the title song, Matthews addresses her maker like a long-lost lover:  maker of mine, of yours and times, I love you, I want to be with you/Enfold me, my beloved/ I am weak, waking in the dawn of ecstasy.

Like most serious artists, Matthews said she is unreasonably committed to her work.

“It does describe me, unreasonably committed, but then again how can it be unreasonable when most of the time it’s the only thing that helps me make sense of the chaos,” she said.

“So, I guess you could say I’ll probably be unreasonably committed to it for the rest of my life,” she said.

Matthews, who has founded her own record label with her manager Rose Gardina, formally released the CD May 13 at a party thrown in her honor at the Lizard Lounge.

More information about the album and where Matthews is playing is available at the Web sites: jennifermatthews.com or bostongirlguide.com.