Customer Reviews

East Autumn Grin

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Matthew Ryan, single-handedly, is probably the most underrated singer songwriter on the planet. I discovered Matthew on a whim back in 1997 when his debut album "Mayday" came out. I wasn't disappointed. I anxiously awaited the release of his new album with 2 parts anticipation and 1 part trepidation - the proverbial sophomore slump loomed heavily on my mind. Well, my concerns have been put to rest! East Autumn Grin picks up where Mayday left off.

From the opening track "3rd of October" straight through to the hidden track "August Summer Dress", I found myself glued to the speaker, awaiting each new track with anticipation. No need to 10 second preview each song on this one! Matthew Ryan's songs, to the uninitiated, might seem to be a little somber or morose. What these people don't realize is the hope is there, it just lies a little beneath the surface, and may take more than your typical bubblegum approach to find it. Matthew has a unique way of being very personal and intimate on his songs while never crossing over that blurred line where self reflection and total exposure become whining and self-pitying. I found myself listening to these songs and feeling as though I'd heard them before.

The album is a bit more polished then it's predecessor (Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum playing trumpet!), but none the less, it feels as worn and comfortable as a good old pair of shoes. Turn the lights down, light a candle, and enjoy!

East Autumn Grin comes on slow but grows on you. I know that doesn't sound like a stellar write up but it's the truth. Once you give this album a chance it probably won't leave your player for a long time. Track number six, Sadlylove, was the first song to stand out and grab my attention but others soon followed. This is a great album and Matthew Ryan's songwriting skills are superb. The album is heavily produced and is rich in layers and sound, which is unusual for most singer-songwriters unless they've already "made it" and have financial security to take such studio risks. If I had to pigeon-hole to give a potential buyer an idea of what they're getting, think early Springsteen, Tom Petty, Dylan and Ryan Adams. That's the caliber of writing but Matthew Ryan sounds like Matthew Ryan.

For those who care. In the Marlboro magazine, Unlimited, muscian Steve Earle was asked what some of his favorite current albums were. East Autumn Grin made the cut.

"East Autumn Grin" is a truly special album. With lines like, "Angry and sad over a cup of black tea, your watering eyes and perfume were choking me." ("Sadly Love") Ryan immediately shows his skill with creating images and crafting extraordinary lyrics. The most special thing about this record, however, is that it has purpose. "East Autumn Grin" sounds as if it had to be made to complete a dialog the artist was having with himself, to pin down the chaos in his life and to get at the heart of the things that are important, love and forgiveness. Opening with the defiant anthemic "3rd of October" and mining moments of desperation ("I Must Love Leaving") to moments of beautiful intimacy ("Time and Time Only"), Matthew takes you on his journey. This really is an amazing record. A record that sticks with you and on repeated listens and grows on you as you understand more and more the different layers of the conversation Matthew Ryan is initiating. In this time, when music seems so often to sound like it was created simply to move product, "East Autumn Grin" is a remarkable breath of fresh air.

Followups are iffy things and Matthew Ryan appears to struggle with his sophomore effort, but in the end he prevails with an edgy, quietly powerful album. This disc is basically a downer, but Matthew Ryan's pained, gravelly vocals make looking inward with despair a gruesomely pleasurable indulgence. Anthemic mid-tempo rockers like "3rd of October" compete with the quiet introspection of "I Hear a Symphony" and the result is a strong album that still somehow does not satisfy. Perhaps it's not intended to because satisfaction and fulfillment is not what these songs are about. The best moment comes with the beautiful and heart-wrenching, "Sadly Love", which just about says it all.

I picked this cd up after hearing about Matthew Ryan from Amazon and boy, I can't begin to describe what a great purchase this was! The lyrics, the music, continue to move me like a touching lazy summer breeze...Ryans music is introspective, and deeply beautiful. I just wish I could have discovered what an incredible talent this guy is..I am beginning to wonder about the popular musical tastes these days(well, not beginning to)but It is great to see artists such as Matthew Ryan whose voice defies style, trendiness, and popularity and cuts to the deeper issues with such moving lyrics and music on life, beauty, and loss. His lyrics are poetic, with feelings of tough grit and tenderness that I have not felt from music...3rd of October, Time and Time only, Me and My lover, Still Part two, and the hidden August Summer dress continue to be my favorites, but the whole album is incredible! What an Amazing young talent to come across my life...

I have enjoyed Matthew's music and raw writing style since MayDay. East Autumn Grin is by far my favorite album, from beginning to end, and this is among a phenomenal collection of good material he has put out. I recommend this album highly, the album flows like a slow but disgruntled flood of emotion and the tunes build well and his words have enough imagery to make you swerve off the road, BE CAREFUL.

Not for a long time have I put a new album into my CD player, and just sat and listened all the way through. When it had finished, all I could think was, and this probably sounds so corny, "Now that is music!". Matthew Ryan's musical story-telling just draws you in, and keeps you there.

I've been waiting three years for this album to come out, and I'm giddy with how well it fits my expectations. Some of this falls into the mid-tempo rock niche of "Guilty" and "Disappointed" from his "Mayday" album. Others slower, quieter, and more soulful, like "Chrome" or "Beautiful Fool." East Autumn Grin is the most logical sequel to Mayday, playing on Matthew's strengths and building on what made his previous effort so infectious. "3rd of October," the album's starter, is an amazing song, and the rest of the album goes from there. Quite frankly, I can already tell that this is going to be a mainstay on my list of "desert island" discs, along with Mayday, of course. The world needs more honest music like this! Give yourself a chance to discover this guy's music and see what it does for you - because listening to Matthew Ryan is like listening to yourself. It may not be pretty, but it sure makes you a smarter person for it...

No grins are straying across any lips that utter such rough lyrics and crumbling views of life. Matthew Ryan's sophomore album is a turn for the moody grim and still for the better. Ryan still manages to soar lyrically. With songwriting skills like these, how can the dismal poet dwell so long in melancholy?

With the hard-hitting intro numbers "3rd Of October" and "Heartache Weather," the songsmith pounds the irony of life into our ears. Just when we think he'll never see a sunny day, he eases us into the simple "I Hear A Symphony." The next five tunes trace through loves lost and found before quietly settling like a drowsy day on the front porch in "Time And Time Only," a sleeper standalone song with all the power of the first warm day following a long, cold winter.

Meanwhile, Ryan's panoramic landscape dips into instruments and recording techniques that drown this album with a striking resonance. Whether it's the steady drum thump in "Still Part Two" or the symphonic striking scales of "Sunk," this album hits you. Slap it in your stereo and take a long drive through the countryside, and you'll see what I mean.

I only have a handful of CD's that I can listen to each and every song, and this is one of the best. In my opinion, this is much better than MayDay.