Matthew Sweet has made consistently listenable power-poppy albums but 'Girlfriend' from 1991 is the essential purchase. Released at a time when increasingly mardy grunge was the dominant force, this was a breath of fresh air. The pop songs were nice and fuzzy round the edges which meant it avoided the dreaded 'twee' label and the presence of glitterati from the CBGB's scene like Richard Lloyd and Robert Quine gave the album instant cred.
It is the songwriting, though, that makes 'Girlfriend' a classic. Made in the wake of a divorce (I think) the ballads are touching and bittersweet. 'You don't love me' should be up there with Nilsson's 'Without You' and Eric Carmen's 'All by Myself' as a big standard break-up song. Matthew Sweet knows how to put chords together and when the solo should come...this is, in this case, a GOOD thing.
Matthew Sweet - Superdeformed
'Superdeformed' is a B-side from the 'Girlfriend' EP. 'Warm and punchy' is a banned phrase in Johnny Domino recording sessions but I think this sounds 'warm and punchy'. Like Teenage Fanclub's 'Grand Prix' this is not complicated or demanding music, it just feels good... and that's often a GOOD thing.
Buy 'Girlfriend' by Matthew Sweet
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