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It has a lovely sense of melody, a wild and sweet variety of guitar sounds, and many songs that combine a fascinating sense of craft, a feeling spontaneous necessity, and rock-poetry reminiscent of masters of desire and understatement like Lennon and Berry. I tend to like all of his records, and "Sunshine Lies" runs the gamut from his tougher "dinosaur act" stuff to the gentler tones of his Lloyd-less records like "Mars." "Sunshine Lies" has some remarkable songs, including the title cut and "Byrdgirl" and "Let's Love." (The set is all strong, but side two of the vinyl version is brilliant). Because it is by Matthew Sweet, and perhaps because many fans of his disagree as to what his best two Lps are, this set already has a contentious reception, and even some shrugs. But if this album had been released by a mystery band in 1972, it would now be spoken of in the same sentence as the great double Lps of the late 60s.
I will admit to being a little disapointed with the last two disc. (Ric Menck is the coolist drummer). I've been a big fan from the beginning. Excellent show. A rock solid return to form for Mr.
Buy this record. Matthew Sweet is back. The new stuff played well along side the classics. Please. Sweet's high vocal range is countered again by the tangled, jagged soloing of Richard Loyd and Ivan Julian. Etc. Matthew is in great voice throughout. All American Rejects.
Sweet. Fall Out Boy. Sunshine Lies grabbed me instantly with great lyrics, melodies, and numerous heavy guitar riffs. I caught the band live 2 weeks ago.
Something happened though, at the GAMH show in SF: Great band + Hot groovy fun, and suddenly I could properly hear Sunshine Lies, even the tracks he didn't play that night. Delivering rueful musings of experience wrapped in these shimmery Pet-Sounds-kind of pop gloss produces a dissonance that works for me.
And Back of My Mind is the best album-ender since Party Girl.Thanks, Matthew. Sunshine Lies asserts sweet optimism even after all that young rocker has seen and done, a neat trick.(I Need A) Room to Rock In is our new house motto.
As rabid fan of the big 3, I've liked the most recent CDs fine. I think the step required to access Sunshine Lies is awakening the silly 16 year old rocker within, so play it LOUD.
I needed that. I liked this one quite a bit too the first weeks I had it.
Somehow the key to the puzzle was transmitted to me--by means of feedback, I'm guessing.the mechanism is unclear.This is an extreme set of songs, seriously over-the-top as both ear candy and lyric sincerity.
songs with singalong choruses,harmonies,melodies,chunky guitar solos,all wrapped up in a shimmering and vibrant and punchy style,man it just rocks and flows and my 19 month old daughter Daisy just LURVES ''Lets Love''.Terrific. He did it again.In the great songwriting vein of The Byrds,Beatles,Big Star.i.e.
Brydgirl comes in for the bronze, and I hear released as the single (smart). Only disappointment was that he played the old Superdeformed, instead of the new Let's Love, as the closing encore. Matthew produced his trilogy of masterpieces (Girlfriend, Altered Beast, 100% fun) after getting divorced, jamming and touring w/ the influential Lloyd Cole (checkout his perfect comeback "The Negatives"), and going "electric" with legends (the late) Robert Quine and Richard Lloyd. Great concert, great music/sound, great selection of songs. This is a superb, but not perfect CD.
Sweet's voice seemed a little ragged towards the end of this tour. Some might say that they were experimental, but so were Beast and 100% Fun; the latter just having better guitars, tunes and songwriting. perhaps he should see Bryan Ferry's vocal coach so he can tour into his 60's too ;-). Why Matthew why. "Burn Through Love" gets honorable mention, and one hopes Matthew explained the double entendre or historical context to wife Lisa. So 1990's Sweet fans -- IMHO, comparing Sweet to Mickey Rourke --- Kimi is Sin City and Sunshine is The Wrestler.
In the canon of Matthew Sweet - this CD perhaps ranks alongside the solid "Kimi Ga Suki", with the distinction that it rocks a bit more. Then gratefully Kimi marked a grand comeback. Check it out.Saw Matthew live last night at Webster Hall in NYC. Kimi is more consistent w/ no duds; Sunshine has a couple of duds (the first two songs oddly enough), but sticks in the mind a bit more. The other five songs on the second half of the disk are also keepers -- they create a great mood. The silver goes to "Feal Fear"; haunting and, get this, piano driven.
I was then shocked by "Blue Sky on Mars" and "In Reverse"; decent albums but not up to the Sweet standard and not really memorable enough tune-wise. "Living Things" is the only Sweet CD I disavow to own.The gold medal on Sunshine goes to "Let's Love" - great fuzzy guitar, melody and simple lyric twist.
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