Matthew Sweet is an alternative rocker who has been perfecting his brand of power pop for about as long as I’ve been alive. Sweet started out in the early 80s in the same Athens, GA music scene that gave birth to R.E.M. and the B-52s. His big break came in 1991 with the release of his album Girlfriend, featuring the single of the same name that eventually reached #4 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart. A newer generation was exposed to Sweet as “Girlfriend” was featured as a playable track on Guitar Hero II. Today’s song comes from Sweet’s fifth studio album 100% Fun and was his biggest hit, topping out at #2 on the Modern Rock chart. I first became acquainted with Matthew Sweet while working in college radio. There is just an undeniable catchiness to this song and it got stuck in my head. From the guitar lick to the melody and the clever, self deprecating lyrics, it’s the blueprint for a power-pop hit. Matthew Sweet has continued to make records. He collaborated with Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles for a covers album entitled Under the Covers, Vol. 1 in 2006. Last year he released his tenth proper solo album, Sunshine Lies. I really haven’t kept up with his current music but “Sick of Myself” remains a standard for me when it comes to good clean fun.Matthew Sweet - "Sick of Myself"
No comments:
Post a Comment