Matthew Sweet
Sunshine Lies
Shout Factory

I am sad to report, madams and sirs, that the great Sweet has finally made an album that is outright not good. Usually this man has the power to create forceful power pop that gets your grannie dancing, but this time around he doesn't even make me shake my head.

I absolutely does not mean to dis the man. It's the recording, not the guy. Hence the total appraisal above. Often, it is easy to pinpoint what has gone wrong with a record that just won't sit with me. It's simply a compilation of not that good songs, bad production, poorly recorded etc. I'm afraid Sweet is the victim of a piece of all of this. Songs that might have been great with a In Reverse production just don't find their place here. Songs that aim in that direction just don't get there or should have gone for a Girlfriend sound.

But I'll be there to buy his next one as well.

Copyright © 2008 Anders Svendsen