Matt Sharp
Matt Sharp
In Music We Trust
Before you read any further, be aware: If you are expecting Matt Sharp’s solo album to be anything like his work with Weezer or as the frontman for The Rentals, you will be sorely disappointed. Consider this album Matt Sharp’s very own Kid A. It is like nothing else he has recorded.
Sharp’s self-titled debut album is a highly acoustic audio cloud. It is so relaxing that it’s hard to decipher when one song ends and another begins. They all start to meld into one another to make an aural version of floating. If you are confused, just close your eyes and think about lying on a cloud. That’s what Matt Sharp sounds like.
The only song that I really dislike is “Shadows.” It reminds me of Radiohead’s “Treefingers,” from Kid A. There are no lyrics or instruments, just an electronic drone. That drone forces you to think about the title, and before you know it, you start wondering whether there is a shadow watching you.
After getting over just how subdued and acoustic Matt Sharp the solo artist is, you begin to appreciate just how diverse he can be. He has rocked us with the likes of “Buddy Holly” and “Friends of P,” and now he is ready to strip down the sound to its barest essence and show the world how passionate he can be with just his guitar, an electronic drone and a voice that is barely above a whisper.
Listening to this album is like hearing a secret. But this is one that shouldn’t be kept.
Matt Sharp: http://www.inmusicwetrust.com/mattsharp.html
