Matthew Sweet - Blue Sky On Mars (1997)

On Matthew Sweet's early-'90s power pop trilogy of Girlfriend, Altered Beast, and 100% Fun, Richard Lloyd's angular, unpredictable lead guitar functioned as a gritty counterpoint to Sweet's pretty melodies and tales of lost love, giving the music an unexpected depth. Sweet parted ways with Lloyd before he made Blue Sky on Mars, and his departure greatly affects the music. Without Lloyd, the songs are more predictable and the band, even with Brendan O'Brien's warm production, sounds rather canned. However, the music isn't the only thing hurting Blue Sky on Mars -- the songs themselves are considerably more uneven than before, lacking the effortless hooks of its three predecessors. Sweet manages to turn out a handful of good songs -- the swirling "Where Do You Get Love" has an infectious chorus, and "Come to California" has a sunny, Californian feel -- but the simple problem is that most of the songs are colorless, and that comes as a major disappointment after the inspired songcraft since Girlfriend.

Matthew Sweet - Where You Get Love


Track Listing
1. Come to California
2. Back to You
3. Where You Get Love
4. Hollow
5. Behind the Smile
6. Until You Break
7. Over It
8. Heaven and Earth
9. All over My Head
10. Into Your Drug
11. Make Believe
12. Missing Time

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Matthew Sweet - 100% Fun (1995)

Clocking in at 45 minutes, Matthew Sweet's third record of guitar-dominated, hook-laden power pop runs through its 12 songs at a classic speed, piling up songs that lovingly conform to the three-minute pop tradition. Richard Lloyd's gnarled guitars save Sweet's melodies and harmonies from being saccharine or sappy. Behind Sweet's bright hooks lies something darker -- the self-loathing of "Sick of Myself" and the mental manipulation of "We're the Same" aren't evident from the sound of the record, which obliterates any hidden meanings with its chiming guitars and driving rhythms. It might not have the consistent barrage of great songs like Girlfriend, yet it tames the wilder impulses of Altered Beast into an album that rocks its worries away without ever getting rid of them. Source: [AMG]

Matthew Sweet - We're The Same



Track Listing
1. Sick of Myself
2. Not When I Need It
3. We're the Same
4. Giving It Back
5. Everything Changes
6. Lost My Mind
7. Come to Love
8. Walk Out
9. I Almost Forgot
10. Super Baby
11. Get Older
12. Smog Moon

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