Christmas comes at Halloween with the release of Matthew Ryan's Dear Lover CD on sale now at Matthew Ryan's website. I've blogged before here about Matthew's last CD, Matthew Ryan Versus the Silver State, and just how absolutely fantastic that release was. Here's a musician and songwriter I just cannot recommend enough. He's one of those guys that if you like what you hear now, you want to go back and gobble up his whole discographic catalog. Here's a teaser track from the CD:
Take a listen and decide for yourself if this is a CD worth taking a flier on listening to and then talking about it to friends, family, work associates, school chums, and, heck, even strangers that love brilliant, poignant albeit ofttimes heartbreaking songwriting and excellent music. His songs are ones you listen to repeatedly and then think about long after the music's stopped.
I'm purchasing it today, but hearing what I've heard from Matthew Ryan's past, I'm recommending it sight unseen, or rather, CD unheard. Of course, I'll also be letting you know in the comments about my feelings once I receive it. Here's a few pre-release reviews:
PopDose
Glide Magazine
Metromix
Thanks for listening!
Le Poignard
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5 comments:
Deed is done! I've ordered it. Hopefully, I'll have the CD in hand by early next week. Can't wait!
I've probably listened to it in various states of attention--from really listening to background music--about five times. I've probably got about five more to go to really feel like I know it. But, I'm going to start writing my review, then send it to you when you're ready. You let me know.
I think you described it accurately a month or two ago, as I recall!! Way before either of us heard it.
Sue :)
It's like a mash-up of the Replacements and U2 - or maybe like Explosions in the Sky fronted by Matthew Ryan and covering U2. I dunno.
He's blending the sound-scapier stuff from Late Night High Rise with his guitar rock inclinations and, as he's done from pretty much the beginning, providing a dose of sorrow/despair with hope.
And, as seems to be true for all of the acts that I find myself drawn to as I get older, regardless of the theme of the song, there is a sense of joy about the craft that comes through in his music. It's compelling stuff.
It's been interesting and very rewarding to follow his career.
-BP
Pretty astute observations, BP!
As always, thanks for chiming in and doing some much-needed filling in of the cracks.
Hello to BP!
Yeah, two things--the music itself--"sound-scapier" is a good description. I love the sound, though. It just reminds me of simple acoustic stuff laid down on top of some cool instrumentation that makes it richer, and drives it. I've decided though, that a Matthew Ryan song should never have harmonica. Never.
The lyrics--I've been searching for the right word all day--hope? redemption? I've decided this is kind of like his Blood on the Tracks, or Tunnel of Love, but with hope. or with redemption. or with some other happy thing involved. But not too happy, because this is Matthew Ryan.
He said it is a "grower" and I think he's right. Complex and beautiful, so far. Most of it, anyway.
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