Matthew Sweet

Matthew Sweet keeps the sunny psychedelia, while bringing some ragged guitar punch back to his bittersweet guitar pop -- his sweeping vocal harmonies alone have the ability to sprinkle a few dark clouds into otherwise blue skies. Sweet wisely brings back old friends Richard Lloyd (Television) and Susanna Hoffs (The Bangles), but everything is in service of the songs. He can simultaneously have fun with his power pop fanboy status and carry on the hallowed tradition of his peerless heroes ("Byrdgirl," "Around You Now," "Pleasure Is Mine"). For a good time: Play loud and sing along.

His commercial stock has plummeted since his Nineties heyday, when he scored two gold
records and a Top 10 smash with the power-pop nugget "Girlfriend." But judging by his first
album of new material in four years, Matthew Sweet's lack of hits hasn't led him to
dramatically alter his sound. Though it's more uneven than Sweet's best albums, Sunshine
Lies is long on the sunny, pop-classicist melodies, straightforward grooves and la... More >