Nebraska’s Sidney Matthew Sweet, 47, one-time member of supergroup The Thorns, bounces back to life with a rip-roaring 10th album.
Having made his name via the burgeoning Athens Georgia scene in the mid-80s,
he’s re-focused his writing on quality once more, though much of Sunshine Lies
is way off mainstream appeal, not that it matters.
In 2006 he collaborated with former Bangles eye-candy Susanna Hoffs on a covers
album returning to accessible and melodic formats synonymous with his breakthrough
material.
Possessing a fear of flying, it has inhibited his touring capabilities to
support album releases, so things may well be the same right now. His usual
collaborators drummer Ric Menck, guitarists Ivan Julian and Richard Lloyd,
pedal steel guitarist Greg Leisz throw their collective weight behind this
eclectic gem, with Hoffs doing backups on the title track.
This album is a kaleidoscope of colours sure to appeal to Prog-rockers,
Americana fans and the plain curious. Psychedelia strong influences the undulating
quality of Beatles-esque Time Machine with some neat and melodic guitar
solos adding to the throw-back feel, giving it a Rubber Soul touch. Room To Rock
‘does what it says on the tin’ – raucous dirty riffs and solos aplenty, leading
us to believe he’s always had latent rock tendencies.
Similarly, appropriately titled Flying brings us a belting and full-on approach,
as if the soloists have been given a free-range to express themselves, and how,
with the simple but fuzzed-out Let’s Love almost being accessible with its whopping
anthemic chorus. Delving into the heyday of American folk-rock, Byrdgirl reminisces
The Byrds’ floaty and wistful template with dazzling solos by erstwhile axeman
Greg Leisz.
Up to now, Feel Fear is the most melodic, making it the most radio-friendly
Sweet has elected to be: glorious harmonies a la Byrds/The Thorns. Right out of
60s California, the title track is a subtle mix of Beach Boys-meets-Byrds.
The jangly and swooning flow is embellished by Hoffs’ hushed vocal and the
swirling pedal steel, while sumptuous and (almost) poppy Around You Now
is a flavour of The Thorns all over again.
1. Time Machine
2. Room To Rock
3. Byrdgirl
4. Flying
5. Feel Fear
6. Let’s Love
7. Sunshine Lies
8. Pleasure Is Mine
9. Daisychain
10. Sunrise Eyes
11. Around You Now
12. Burn Through Love
13. Back Of My Mind
DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TXW32R4 32" widescreen TV
connected to either a Creative Dxr2 DVD-ROM player or Microsoft Xbox and
played through a Sony STR-DB930 amplifier.
PC games reviewed by the editor are on:
Since Nov 2005: Intel Pentium D 830 3.0Ghz, 1Gb RAM, 128Mb nVidia GeForce 6700XL, Windows XP
Since Aug 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.66Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb GeForce4 MX440 graphics, Windows XP
Since May 2003: Intel Pentium 4 2.6Ghz, 512Mb RAM, 128Mb ATI Radeon 9600TX graphics, Windows XP
Since Jun 2002: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, 64Mb ATI Radeon 8500LE
Since May 2000: Intel Pentium III 600Mhz, 384Mb RAM, Windows 98 SE, Voodoo 3 3000 AGP
Review & concert pics copyright © Elly Roberts, 2004-2008.
