It shouldn't be the case that we'll soon only know Matthew Sweet from the likeable duo
Under The Covers that he forms with
Susanna Hoffs. Just as Hoffs was once a prominent member of
Bangles, Sweet has had a long, but by now somewhat snowed under career of his own. On his album Catspaw he looks back on this and gloats about getting older. It seems as if he wants to contrast this with powerful music.
Apart from the drums, Sweet plays all the instruments himself, with especially the guitars roaring. It's remarkable how he manages to make the whole thing sound like a solid rocking band. In a collection of melodic songs Sweet is mainly a guitarist, with thick lead parts and flashing solos. His influences are unmistakably from the 70s (Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Television), but Sweet has character and experience enough to bend this to his will into a swampy, modern rock record. (MR)more
