Eric Matthews Albums (5)
'The Imagination Stage'
Release Date 1/1/2008
Tracks 13
Label Empyrean
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What The Critics Say
Eric Matthews sounds rejuvenated on The Imagination Stage, only his fifth album in a dozen years but the third in relatively quick succession for the Empyrean label. But just when fans could start to worry that too much of Matthews' work was flooding the marketplace, he's broadened his palette, stretching the boundaries and beginning to work in more intriguing shades. Sometimes it's with a simple technique, as on the several instrumental passages that allow listeners to focus on the clever arrangements (and not worry about Matthews' usually similar-sounding vocals). But often it's the interwoven arrangements, harmonies, and interesting instrument choices that make The Imagination Stage such a wonderful record, encompassing everything from a tastefully bashing drum kit to an analog drum program to the type of subdued brass that has been a hallmark of Matthews' work since he debuted in 1995. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
In the liner notes to 2006's Foundation Sounds, Eric Matthews explains his career strategy as he had planned it prior to the release of his solo debut, 1995's It's Heavy in Here. Over the course of 40 albums, he would gradually strip all traditional pop instrumentation from his productions, proceeding from a full synthesis of pop and classical to an approach that was wholly classical. Like Sufjan Stevens' 50-states project, time was against him from the beginning, and although his second album followed less than two years later, it wasn't until 2005 that another release escaped -- and that a mini-LP. Like that release, Matthews' fourth LP refines his talents for production and songwriting, but it doesn't show him growing as a vocalist. The album is not only self-produced, but the work of a one-man band, with Matthews handling the traditional guitar-bass-drums setup plus piano, and occasionally, woodwinds and brass. (In the notes, he calls it "the purest Eric Matthews statement yet.") Very little has changed in his world -- his songs are beautifully crafted and subtly moving (the deeper chords usually proceeding at a stately pace), and Foundation Sounds is undeniably the work of an arranging and songwriting artisan. Unfortunately, it's clear from Matthews' vocals that too little has changed; although his voice is just right for this material, he repeats ideas from his previous records so often and so unerringly that listeners can't help but confuse these songs with many others. (There's a moment in the sixth track, "Survive," where Matthews echoes himself -- "the same, the say-hayame," then repeats it for good measure -- that has probably appeared in similar fashion on a dozen other songs of his.) Perhaps his classical training gives him the impression that great music needs only small improvements to reach a state of perfect performance, but the world of pop music is so fleeting that he has to move forward occasionally. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
'Six Kinds of Passion Looking for an Exit'
Release Date 3/1/2005
Tracks 7
Label Empyrean
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What The Critics Say
Although this occasion -- the release of seven songs more than seven years after his last full release -- may not constitute a full triumph for followers of Eric Matthews, they can console themselves with the fact that the singular singer/arranger has changed very little in the interim. The mini-LP Six Kinds of Passion Looking for an Exit is a deeply confessional record, both in theme and in content. He downplays both the use of brass and emphatic arrangements from his first two records, relying largely on acoustic guitar and breathy double-tracked vocals to create an atmosphere of studied tranquility. The opener, "Worthy," and closer, "Black to Light Brown," are the only two songs featuring outside involvement, and also the only ones to evoke the baroque splendor of "Fanfare," his most popular song. Elsewhere Matthews makes a direct, oddly conversational apology to former collaborator Richard Davies on "Cardinal Is More." Like the return of Jason Falkner, another of his former companions, for the EP Bliss Descending, Eric Matthews' third record is a very muted return to past glories. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
'The Lateness of the Hour'
Release Date 8/26/1997
Tracks 13
Label Sub Pop
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What The Critics Say
Displaying an increased sense of songcraft and sharper arrangements, The Lateness of the Hour takes the virtues of Eric Matthews' debut, It's Heavy in Here, and amplifies them, resulting in a richer, fuller album. Where its predecessor only made a passing acknowledgment of rock, there's more guitar on The Lateness of the Hour, and it has a less orchestral feel -- the strings and horns are used as coloring, accentuating the songs in the style of swinging '60s pop. Matthews still has a problem with writing provocative lyrics, but his melodicism is at a peak. Each song has a memorable melody which is surrounded by rolling guitars, lush strings, and sweet brass. The best songs have an effortless grace, while even the weaker moments are enjoyable because of the lavish arrangements. Matthews might be too precious for some listeners -- his voice is almost inhumanly fey and breathy -- but, on the basis of The Lateness of the Hour, there's little denying that he is developing into a first-rate songwriter and arranger. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
One of the finest debut albums of the 1990s, It's Heavy in Here brings forth to the public a new artist fully grown, refined, and with an undeniable attitude of exploration. Indeed, a heady combination, but Eric Matthews delivers in grand style with 14 gems that sparkle like rare tiaras. Mixing elements of classical, pop, jazz, and a bit of folk, the songs are well-crafted mosaics, and grab the listener with a slightly narcotic tug of the sleeve. Influences ranging from Colin Blunstone (the vocals) to Bernard Herrmann (string arrangements) give the entire affair a stately grace. "Three Cornered Moon" is a great example of this, with its waltz-time feel and arrangement that crosses chamber music with an almost Chet Baker, West Coast cool jazz flavor. Other tracks, such as the brilliant "Fanfare" (which one writer described as "the 'Penny Lane' of the 1990s"), are more direct and immediate in their mellifluousness, yet retain an air of mystery, with Matthews using words as musical instruments, juggling insights with a wonderful sense of style that is slightly reminiscent of Van Dyke Parks. In the end though, despite all of the influences mentioned, Eric Matthews is his own man and artist, and this album is a seamless cornerstone to a catalog that is (one can only hope) unfolding. ~ Matthew Greenwald, All Music Guide
