Eric Matthews reviewed
Eric Matthews
Foundation Sounds
(Empyrean)
On the second album after his self-imposed hiatus, Eric Matthews plays the whole thing.
Going on the idea of recording something with no one else to blame, Matthews comes out sounding like he always has: creepy. Long a purveyor of lofty, orchestral pop, his vocals are layered and half-whispered, as if he’s speaking right in your ear and at any point might lick it. Likeminded auteurs Archer Prewitt, Jim O’Rourke, and Neil Hannon don’t do this, but they also don’t have Matthews’ gift for graceful arrangements. No matter how full the mix, each instrument finds its place and contributes. The trouble is, the songs all sound relatively the same because the vocal melodies are interchangeable. And on a 17-track album, that’s a major problem.
— Steve Forstneger
Click here to download “More Than I Can Give.”
