Customer Reviews

Concussion

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There are so few records today that convey the sense that they had to be made, that they are necessary artistic expressions, rather than simply product being delivered because the calendar says it's time. (And this is sadly true of many artists I love.) Matthew Ryan is that rare artist whose music consistently reaches this pinnacle. Like his previous efforts, listening to "Concussion" is to be in thrall of a passionate and articulate storyteller with the uncanny abililty to reach into the dark places of the soul, yet still seem resilient.

Ryan's music may echo the darker side of Springsteen, Mellencamp or Steve Earle, but it is filled with the immediacy of someone in the midst of things, as opposed to simply commenting on them. It is also suffused with an ineffable sadness and world-weary view that is surprising from a guy who's yet to crack 30.

So, no, this is not easy listening, and the mostly pared down arrangements mean that there's no wall of guitars or full-on thrash to pull you through as there were on "May Day" and "East Autumn Grin." But there's a difference between music that's depressing and music that's deeply felt, and Ryan's tales of broken hearts and wounded spirits are definitely the latter; his craggy, expressive voice imbues even the saddest songs with a sense of LIVING, or struggling to come up for air, even for a brief moment.

While this is an album to be heard as a whole, there are a few moments of note: the mournful Happy Hour, which asks "If you had everything you wished for/then what would you live for?/And what would you lose?; the haunting vocals of Lucinda Williams on Devastation that define heartache; the chilling tale of family violence of Night Watchman that packs the power and detail of a brilliant short story into a 4:30 song; and a blazingly powerful reclamation of the Clash's unheralded classic Somebody Got Murdered.

This is Ryan's first album on an indie label after two releases on A&M, so it's unlikely to reach the masses. But those who care about music that matters, who want the kind of experience so rarely found today -- but heard on classics from the likes of Waits or Dylan or Springsteen or Lucinda or Leonard Cohen, should seek out "Concussion" and find a place for Mr. Ryan's other records on your shelf as well. Yeah, he's that good.

I discovered Matthew Ryan purely by coincidence after seeing him open for Kasey Chambers in D.C. She described him as one of the best singer/songwriters alive, and after seeing him perform I have to agree with her. Everybody that has ever listened to one of his albums owes it to themself to see him perform live.

From the opening track, "Drift" Ryan will grab you with the simple power of his lyrics and the depth of emotion with which he infuses them. He combines great writing with a voice reminiscent of the love child of Steve Earle and Tom Waits. The tracks on this album are more stripped down than some of his previous work, but no less meaningful.

Standout tracks include the opening track, "Drift," "Rabbit," and "Nightwatchman." Perhaps one of the best aspects of this album is there are no "filler" songs, every track is quality and Ryan does a wonderful job of seamlessly weaving them into quite the enjoyable experience. I can't recommend this cd enough.

Someone needs to stop by Matthew Ryan's house and make sure he's all right. Check his pulse, remove all sharp objects from the kitchen and power tools from the shed. The only word I can think of to describe his 3rd album is sorrowful. This is an album of extreme quiet, desperation, and sadness. Many of the tracks are simply Ryan playing a very sparse acoustic guitar and singing the lyrics in a half asleep rumble. The amazing thing is, it works. Ryan sings with such hopeless despair, I find myself drawn down into the music and seperated from the real world. This is the album Bruce Springsteen failed to make with "The Ghost of Tom Joad". It's a courageous album because it is entirely uncommercial, but entirely riveting.

This album is a testament to the songwriting power of Matthew Ryan, one of the most overlooked songwriters working today. The spare arrangements are evocative and give a real feeling of heart and soul to the album. For those who admire Whiskeytown, Uncle Tupelo, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, and even the more subdued works of Lyle Lovett, this album is a must.

Sometimes the most subtle music meets the highest emotional senses within you. After two just amazing albums with "Mayday", and "East Autumn Grin", Ryan meets the most ultimate mellowness on "Concussion". But even though the album primarily lacks the full instrumentations like on "East Autumn Grin", it does not disappoint musically, lyrically, or emotionally. The songs are written with probably the most heartfelt and intimate feelings inside....These songs are genuine..they are heart-wrenching..they search for a better self...and attempt to find innocence and good in such a cruel world...they reach within you and beg you to feel the pain within you.....

Most of all they are just good music. There is not a bad song on the cd. Even The Clash's "Somebody got murdered" is superbly done. I keep going back to "Drift", "Happy Hour", "Chickering Angel", and "Too soon to tell" for my favorites. But that changes everday. Ryan's songs are not complex musically on this album, but the complexity of his painful moments magnetizes us all. "Just let your dreams go for now".

Somewhere along the line I heard Matthew Ryan spoke about this disk and said it's about everyday people trying to find anything that means something.

We found it.

This is poetry put to beautiful music.

If you've heard Mayday and East Autumn Grin... well this one is stripped, mouth dangerously close to the microphone and of course "those" lyrics...

"If you had everything you wished for, then what would you live for, and what would you lose?"

matthew ryan. wow, this guy is amazing. firmly planted in my personal top ten artist list of all time. yeah, that good. while i don't think he's ever quite topped the debut, MAY DAY (flawless!), he's certainly come close or at least matched it on just about every follow-up. he's quite simply best when he's sparse in arrangements and he just lets his smoked-out, croaked-out voice (that's a good thing) tell its tales of sadness, loneliness, brokeness with a gentle accompanying guitar or strings. this is somber stuff, yes, but not without some light, always at the end of the tunnel but there nonetheless. there's really no reason to break down the songs themselves, they all weave a grand tale of isolation and gentle hope. essential music. buy it.

THIS WILL BE SHORT. THE PREVIOUS REVIEWERS OF THIS FAB CD
HAVE BEEN RIGHT ON. IT'S ANOTHER STAR FOR THE INDY RECORD
LABELS WHO GIVE US MUSIC LOVERS HOPE THAT THERE IS STILL
TALENT OUT THERE. MATTHEW RYAN, ON THE STRENGTH OF HIS 3 CD'S
HAS NOW REACHED A PLATEAU I HAD PREVIOUSLY RESERVED FOR THE
LIKES OF TOM WAITS, STEVE EARLE, AND BOB DYLAN.ALTHOUGH HIS
FIRST 2 CD'S WERE EXCELLENT, HE RAISED THE BAR ON THIS ONE.
I WILL BE RECOMMENDING THIS CD TO EVERYBODY I KNOW WHO RESPECTS
GREAT MUSIC.IN A MORE INTELLIGENT LAND, MR. RYAN WOULD BE A HOUSEHOLD NAME. AND IN A MORE MUSICALLY INTELLIGENT WORLD,