Eric Matthews

It’s Heavy In Here (Sub Pop ’95) Rating: B
This debut was quite refreshing in 1995. With subdued, breathy vocals and plain, sweet melodies, Eric Matthews seemed like quite an original talent when contrasted with the overcrowded multitude of his “grunge” brethren (ironically, this album was released on Sub Pop records, the original home of “grunge” giants Soundgarden and Nirvana.) Of course, this style had been done before but seemed to come from a distant time and place, when groups such as Love, The Beach Boys, The Zombies, The Left Banke, and Simon & Garfunkel created mini symphonies with what remained pop songs (remember, this was before Elliott Smith, Belle and Sebastian, and others of their ilk brought this type of music back to some level of prominence). One reviewer even went so far as to call Matthews “a '90s Nick Drake,” which is quite a compliment and one that’s not nearly earned (actually, Matthews' soothing vocals have more in common with The Zombies' Colin Blunstone than Drake). Anyway, you'll probably be tempted to call this album "over-produced", but the truth is that Matthews' arranging ability is his primary strength; writing songs with hummable hooks isn't. As such, Matthews is at his most interesting when he uses non-standard instrumentation such as trumpets, cellos, violins, harpsichords, and various woodwinds along with his prominent acoustic guitar to color his songs’ moods. When his spare backdrops contain more standard fare, the consistently pretty melodies and refreshing air of innocence that this modest performer exudes doesn’t always overcome the similarities that these songs share. Well-crafted though his songs are, you'll probably have trouble remembering more than one or two of them when all is said and done, and he’s not always on the right side of the fence between refined and bland. Still, It's Heavy In Here was a promising first album from what was then a fresh-faced new talent.

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