|
"Everybody has these stories - 'My parents had all the great Muddy Waters records'. Well, mine had the What's New Pussycat soundtrack and stuff like that..."
Matthew Sweet should by rights be a pop icon, rather than holding what's little more than cult status. He's been around for a decade, and, though not heavy, he has a brilliant pop sensibility, soaked in such youthful influences as Elvis Costello, John Lennon, Brian Wilson and Gram Parsons, and obsessed with the quest for melody-mesmerizing choruses, crisp solos, Byrd-like harmonies, and gorgeous ballads.
Sweet was something of a music prodigy and signed to CBS in 1985, who released his debut album, Inside, the following year. Unfortunately, his pristine playing and sweetly crafted melodies were compromised, and the songs swamped by trappings of the age like chiming synths and icily sequenced drums and keyboards. An array of producers, working on separate tracks in separate locations, exacerbated the music's lack of focus.
Sweet released a mini album entitled Son of Altered Beast in 1994 in North America only. It has subsequently become a much sought after import. Mainly comprised of live material it features incendiary guitar work by Richard Lloyd and comes highly recommended. Sweet has been embraced as something of an icon by the new Power Pop movement as evidenced by the style of new releases by groups such as Fountains of Wayne and Silver Sun. Suddenly it is hip to boast of owning the first three Cheap Trick albums, rare Raspberries singles and old Todd Rundgren albums. (Note from Style Editor: None of those things are hip round my way). This sudden championing of American-styled Power Pop (big guitars, glistening hooks, crunching melodies, bold, multi layered harmonising) should result in increased exposure for Sweet who, commercially at least, has struggled to step out of Girlfriend's shadow. It's disappointing to report therefore that Blue Sky on Mars (Zoo) fails to re-ignite Sweet's career. Jettisoning Quine and Lloyd in favour of a more straightforward, self played sound, the album suffers primarily from a lack of ambition. Melodies are less distinctive than usual and one or two tracks have a "Sweet by numbers " feel that prevents the album from truly connecting. Sweet remains an in-demand influence, guesting recently on the Jayhawks' startling "Sound of Lies" album and featuring in Mike Myers backing band over the closing credits of the movie, Austin Powers! Perhaps he needs to reinvigorate his own output with a similar sense of risk taking.
|
