Send "Scott Matthews " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Popmatters |
 A lonely night, a head full of thoughts, a solitary candle. From the atmospheric, black-and-white intro to the first track on What The Night Delivers ..., “Myself Again,” it’s immediately apparent there’s only one way to fully appreciate this album: in the dark, in solitude.Scott Matthews, you may recall, was the Wolverhampton-born, Ivor Novello-award-winning singer songwriter who had a minor radio hit with the understated, elegiac single “Elusive” way back in 2007. Of course, such high-profile beginnings (who can say they won a prize as coveted as the Ivor Novello for songwriting after one single?!) mean high-profile expectations – and, predictably, his debut album Passing Stranger, reissued by Island Records following his win, didn’t gratify most critics’ expectations. So, three albums in now and What The Night Delivers ... exemplifies – possibly – is Matthews’ career standing. Far from the days of lauding from the press, this album is reflective, introspective – and at times, played from end to end, a difficult listen. Interestingly, while aforementioned opener “Myself Again” (one of his earliest songs, apparently, dating back to 2002), and particularly the track that follows, “Obsession Never Sleeps”, are atmospheric, violin-infused beauties, it’s on the jauntier (by comparison, obviously), less-heavy moments that Matthews comes unstuck. “The Man Who Had Everything” spends two minutes as a haunted, foreboding dream, before morphing into an upbeat, almost Doves-lite jaunt. Ultimately, it feels more like an exercise in melodrama. “Bad Apple” lightens the mood, but just doesn’t seem to suit the vocal as well. Ah yes – the vocal. It’s so close to Jeff Buckley at times you could be forgiven for thinking the late author of Grace was back with us. And harsher critics would denounce this album for being too close to Buckley’s Grace at times, but not as good. But what is? What The Night Delivers ... isn’t peppered with out-and-out rockers that could be found throughout Jeff Buckley’s career, but it emulates some of the more tender moments and runs with them. Ideally, listeners will come to What The Night Delivers ... without an prior knowledge whatsoever of Buckley’s entire back catalogue....full text |
| Directcurrentmusic |
| Scott Matthews - Third studio album of psychedelica-tinged folk/rock is also a reunion with producer Jon Cotton, the man behind Matthews' outstanding 2006 debut Passing Strangers (and brilliant Ivor Norvello award-winning track "Elusive")... comparisons to Nick Drake, Jeff Buckley and the acoustic side of Led Zep notwithstanding, Matthews has found his own voice, mixing moody acoustic soundscapes with an almost spooky spiritual vibe...fan Robert Plant guested on the '09 sophomore release Elsewhere // Release: What the Night Delivers (September 5, San Remo) // Sounds like: Matthew's voice, at times reminiscent of a softer Eddie Vedder, is a perfect fit for his folksy, often gorgeous chamber pop...while his guitar-playing remains as inventive as ever, the focus wisely remains on the stellar songwriting... Quote: Matthews views Night as a mix of old and new, earlier unreleased songs dating back to 2002 along with fresh compositions that he says combine elements of "the kind of frantic, eclectic stuff of the first album...(with) the more lyrically driven second album." // What we like: well, everything, actually -- after some musical soul searching (dropped by his original label, not much response to second LP), this is an assured and confident step forward... "Myself Again" is an aptly titled lead track, a song that takes its time to develop into a sweetly nuanced folk hymn of fingerpicked beauty..."The Man Who Had Everything" reminds us a bit of Mark Knopfler's understated touch and graceful uptempo jaunt (right down to the reverbed, slinky guitar solo)......full text |
| Music-news |
| For his third album, Ivor Novello award winner Scott Matthews, has seemingly shed any commercial demands to record an introspective and impressive exhibition of hushed guitar. What might be seen as a backward step by not going for a broader appeal, is more likely a sign of his confidence and of just how comfortable he is with his fanbase. The old adage about not judging a book by its cover (or in this case an album) can be ignored here. A grainy black and white photo shows Matthews sat at a desolate railway station and that’s a fair clue as to what to expect from What The Night Delivers. The album sees Matthews back with producer Jon Cotton, who was at the controls for his 2005 debut but very much in more hushed surroundings. The likes of Myself Again and Obsession Never Sleeps offer more space than earlier material and the latter’s Radiohead similarities underline the musical progression. Walking Home In The Rain sounds exactly like it should, with brushed drums and vocals that wash over you as Matthews sings of ‘pining eyes’ that ‘greet the daylight scared’. But while the over wrought emotion works here, tracks like Ballerina Lake end up lacking depth....full text |
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