Last updated: September 9, 2002
 

REVIEW: Matt Suggs, Golden Days Before They End (Merge)

- Christina Apeles

Formerly of indie-pop duo Butterglory, Matt Suggs hits the solo front with a diverse set of tracks packed with crafty lyrics, darling instrumentation and inspiring melodies. Suggs is a true songwriter, with each song thoughtfully assembled, evocative and stirring; as a good album should be. What's most striking about Suggs, is that you could pick up that his heart is all there, laid out for you in every track. Intimacy is the key word here; nice to wake up to or to send you to slumber.

Butterglory may have made their name as indie pop favorites but a variety of musical styles come into play in Golden Days, from blues to country, creating a unique and entertaining sound, using instruments like the lap steel, mandolin and bells. "Where's Your Patience, Dear?" at its mellow pace, is a standout, very Belle and Sebastianesque, playful piano compositions, with Suggs providing his wit: "as the day turns dark/and it swallows up your heart/I'm leaving your amusement park." Country breakaway "She Kept Time to the Teardrops" is upbeat and fun; "Farewell to a Tightrope Queen," a tragic story, "when all the confetti has been thrown/and swept up in a pile/she'll make the most her new found ghost/and try to force a smile," with a melody to match a big top setting. As good as any opening to a western, the instrumental "Rambler's Ride" evokes exactly what it states.

It's hard to place at what point and how it happens, but Suggs' music gets under the skin and quite pleasantly catches you by surprise. Is it the fact that the lyrics aren't fluff? Maybe the twang in his voice? Or just how god darn well he plays that guitar? It's a combination of all of the above, just listen to his closing "Kisses" and if you don't fall for him then, "keep your chimes and /your chinese drums/and your vision when it finally comes/to your senses."