CD Review: Matthew Sweet - Modern Art

First, an update about Good Ol’ Freda, a documentary about Freda Kelly, who once reigned as the Secretary of The Official Beatles Fan Club. Kelly and the filmmakers are hoping to raise $50,000 on Kickstarter to help cover their production costs. Anyone interested in participating will have to act fast, because Good Ol’ Freda needs to meet its goal by November 11th. With three days left to go, Good Ol’ Freda has reached the $43,420 mark. If they don’t reach $50,000, they won’t get any of the pledges.

And now on to a review I originally did for the Illinois Entertainer of Matthew Sweet’s new CD.

Matthew Sweet’s first release in three years (other than his 2009 Under The Covers: Vol. 2 collaboration with Susanna Hoffs) is a collection of easy-going, introspective songs. Sweet does most of the work, with help from Dennis Taylor on guitar and longtime friend, veteran power pop musician Ric Menck on drums. Fans looking for energetic fare like “Girlfriend” may find Modern Art a bit slow at times, but it’s definitely worth exploring.

The complex title track is most notable for Sweet’s fluid piano playing, and he also crafts a delicate beauty on the ballad, “A Little Death.” His melodies and layered vocals are consistently enticing, but it’s hard not to notice the similarity among several tracks. The blues-rock fun of “Ladyfingers,” along with the careening guitars and fervent vocals on “Ivory Tower” offer welcome changes of pace. But “She Walks The Night,” a ghost story set to a chiming arrangement worthy of The Byrds, is the true masterpiece on Modern Art.

Another Bangles Day

Photo taken from Bangles website.

It was exactly 23 years ago when Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley declared February 23rd Official Bangles Day in his city. I only know this because the anniversary is mentioned on the band’s website. The Bangles probably aren’t being handed the keys to many cities these days, but original members Susanna Hoffs, Debbi Peterson, and Vicki Peterson still tour and are actively working on a new CD. It will be a belated follow up to 2003’s Doll Revolution, and their first without bassist Michael Steele, who left the band a few years back.

Doll Revolution was one of those rare reunion albums that found a band sounding just as strong as ever. A rousing rendition of Elvis Costello’s “Tear Off Your Own Head” led the way, and there were also highly energetic songs like “Ride The Ride,” “Here Right Now,” and “Between The Two.” True, the techno-oriented “Something That You Said” was an obvious attempt at a hit single, but the most noticeable thing about Doll Revolution was that The Bangles were following their own instincts rather bowing to any corporate mandate. That sense of freedom is still evident in the band’s live performances, and bodes well for the new recordings.

The Bangles website offers a firsthand perspective from drummer-vocalist Debbi Peterson on how things have gone on the nine tacks the band has worked on so far. “It's really been a joy to put this album together without anyone breathing down our necks,” Peterson noted. “Just taking our time to do it exactly the way we want to - it feels great, and I think it shows in the music.”

Guitarist-vocalist Vicki Peterson has also sounded optimistic on a series of Tweets under the name VickiBangle. Some of the recording was done at Matthew Sweet’s house, and he’s posted some positive things on Facebook about working with The Bangles.

The Bangles will be promoting the new release this Spring with dates in Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and St. Louis. Since their long-time Australian mates, The Hoodoo Gurus, are also releasing a new CD, it would be great to see these two power pop bands on a double bill like they did back in the 1980s.