Description:
"Spare is the word to describe the direction Matthew Ryans gone in since his beefy, guitar-drenched debut, 1997s May Day. Here his songs, steady as always, exist in collaboration with the gauzy keyboard washes of his Strays Dont Sleep band mate, Neilson Hubbard. This kind of unrelenting moodiness works and it doesnt. The sonic percolations behind most of these ballad-like ruminations barely qualify as musical backing. The only departure is the retro "And Never Look Back," which will please those enamored of 80s synth rock but others will feel a distinct chill. Ryans facility with lyrics remains sharp, however..."-- Robert Baird, Harp (Megaforce)
