| Major Matt Mason USA's latest opus
is anothers slice of genius. The NY anti-folk's most poetic troubadour has done it again... |
 |
| Major Matt Mason USA's latest opus
is anothers slice of genius. The NY anti-folk's most poetic troubadour has done it again... |
|
| "Honey,
Are You Ready For The Ballet?" 1. Shark Attack |
 |
(Click to buy for £9.99) |
"When push comes to
shove, Americans always seem to have that lo-fi troubadour thing
down better than anyone else; and be assured, the spirit of Dando
flows thick through this one.
Released on Shoeshine Records, a label formed by Francis
Macdonald of Teenage Fanclub and the BMX Bandits,
Major Matt Mason USA's second album comprises 11
ramshackle-yet-poetic lo-fi folk offerings. And they are by and
large very, very good. Don't let the down-in-the-basement
production and sounds deceive you; these are accomplished songs,
albeit ones that suit their vehicle to a tee.
Vocally, MMM sounds a lot like a more nasal Michael Stipe,
in a Fables Of The Reconstruction-era style. Content wise,
the songs are simple, acoustic-driven tales of urban life. Part
of the infamous NY anti-folk scene whch includes Moldy Peaches,
The joy of MMM comes through his lyrics, perfectly-formed
vignettes, invariably bittersweet. Take one of the album
highlights, 'Follow her': "She'll follow you the
whole way down / When you run your life into the ground... / So
you'll go to her when you end your day / And you'll follow her
the whole way down". Think a more flippant Elliot
Smith, or if Billy Bragg didn't have the political
agenda and came from NY rather than Barking. Simple, yet
affecting, witty and clever. We salute the Major. 4/5"
(Drownedinsound.com)
"There’s always been something
about the artistic and musical spirit that emanates from New
York, a groundbreaking irreverence for trends visible across the
genres, from punk to disco, from hip-hop to folk.
In the past year, the big apple has begun to re-establish itself
at music’s cutting edge, as bands such as The Strokes, The Yeah Yeah
Yeahs and Liars have mined the city's legendary punk
past and dragged it into the 21st century.
However, proving that it doesn’t have to be loud to be good,
the DIY anti-folk punk stylings of Major Matt Mason USA are a
refreshing (and calming) breath of fresh air.
Originally from Kansas, but now based in New York’s artistic
epicentre the East Village, Major Matt’s minimal genius was
first recognised with his debut album ‘Me Me Me’,
proving that what makes a song great isn’t arrangements or
production, but rather the song.
Back on the Teenage Fanclub-affiliated Shoeshine Records,
‘Honey Are You Ready for the Ballet’ picks up where
‘Me Me Me’ left off - one voice, one guitar and whole
bunch of beautiful and just slightly bizarre songs. While not
always making a great deal of sense, the innocent and compelling
lyrics, reminiscent of Syd Barret or Robyn Hitchcock,
are childlike yet engaging, perfectly complimenting MMM’s
unpolished guitar accompaniment.
While the uncompromisingly raw sound may not always be to
everyone’s taste, MMM still manages to infuse the songs with
a great deal of spirit and emotion. From the sweetly waltzing
‘Follow Her’ to the plodding resignation of
‘It’s All You’ via the upbeat grunge of
‘Mittens’, Major Matt churns out great songs seemingly
with a minimal amount of effort.
It's such an entertaining album that listening to it made me late
for work. 'Honey Are You Ready For The Ballet' asks very little,
but gives a great deal in return."
(www.musicomh.com)
How can you fail to love a song that
contains the line 'I rise with the sun, cause I slept with
your daughter' or 'I'd like to say Fuck, but I hate to
offend' well the answer is you can't!
So are the lines contained in 'Shark Attack' the opening
track on an album that is sublimely brilliant from 'Major Matt
Mason' and I guess you are saying...Who?
You won't be for long, this is the kind of song that you hear
played at lunchtime on radio 1 and you just got to know who the
hell it is, and by the time it gets played again, it feels like
forever, and it's only the opening track, it's simplicity is it's
appeal, never straying from it's path to be clever, while holding
the magic key that is 'Melody' hostage, you feel like you
know the songs, by the 2nd play they feel like 'Old Friends'
track two 'Misdirected' continues the theme, acoustic
laden hooks that steal your heart and sour your soul, 'Follow
Her' just makes you look skywards and wonder just where the
hell this talent has been hiding and why is it not over every
radio and tv station, and this is the point for without that
support an act like this will struggle, and it shouldn't.
The production is spacious and simple, it allows the songs to
breathe, to soar like an eagle free of the studio shackles, it's
quite lo-fi, although I must admit to being baffled to what that
means, comparisons, well you can throw in 'Beck' and 'Pavement'
even a 'Solo Stipe' if you so desire, but 'Matt' is
neither, yet is both!Which two is your choice.
One thing is for sure, that is Shoeshine Records have got
one mighty fine piece of product on their hands here, and none of
the songs fail to deliver, my favorite's have to be track seven 'Pet
Rock' with it's fucked up 'Star Spangled Banner'
intro, yes you read it right, it's clever beyond the grave, like
the hand of 'Jimi' reaching out to be found through a
fucked 50's radio that just fails to die, alongside this track
stands 'Mittens' which is about as close as you will get
to the spirit of 'Cobain', and that says it all.
The album does not deviate from it's path from start to finish,
many will say that it's a one trick pony, but I think it's a
trick redefined each time and changed enough to effect, no more
evident than on track ten 'Surface Depth' which is an
acoustic guitar with a conversation rolling underneath, you are
never quite sure which to listen to and every time you play it,
you still can't decide, overall a very infectious record that
will be at home with so many others and a diverse age range, 'Uncut'
should love it, you should embrace it, I can't wait to turn the
page for the next chapter.
(www.shakenstir.co.uk)
 |
“A storyteller of unmistakable
proportions, NY tales unfold from his unassuming
figure” “Matt has an engaging
observational quality to his low-fi folk music like an
acoustic Evan Dando” “Proper songwriting talent on
show here” |
Here's a good interview with The Major...
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