matt harding - commitment (moshicd04)
.. and so we come onto the first moshi moshi release for 2003.
matts difficult second album - except of course it isn't.
recently i was lucky enough to have a bit of a chat with matt and he explained that the first lp was never really intended to be a final product. he made the tracks as demos. the moshi clan leaders heard said tracks and were so impressed released them as they were- in their basic 4 track natural setting.
so like jack white, matt decided "if it aint broke .." - so this lp was again made on matts trusted 4 track.
for me this album is a vast improvement over the first lp. the range of sounds is wider and the songs more developed and varied. the first album was predominantly an instrumental affair. here, there are more 'proper' songs. matt is beginning to find his real strength in the melodies and chorus's and the sonic tricks he can pull off, which, with his self imposed recording restrictions are quite bewildering - there are times i'm sure he has sneaked into a local 16/32 mutlitrack studio to add some overdubs ?
the start is misleading .. a heavily reverbed vocal giving the impression that we're in for a straight to tape fireside recording .. but this quickly is dispelled as the subtle production begins to shine and the instrumental layers are introduced.
highlights are revealed with each listen. from the groovy 'two ways' with its processed beats and interaction with spoken female vocals duelling with matts trademark softly softly approach, leading beautifully into the heavy bassline lead of 'leave it up to you' overflowing with its harmonica vibes, the dubby stylings of 'you've been here before', the baggy hammond organ appearance on 'sugar water', the roger whitticker whistling of 'positive' through to the sheer simplicity and honesty of 'soldier' .. this lp is simply a perfect example of songcraft and studio deftness. protool engineers need not apply.
and so it goes on .. the overall mellowness and overall warmness is something i now expect from a moshi moshi release but evenso this is top notch and is an excellent addition to what is rapidly becoming one helluva back catalogue.