Per Ken Barnes of USA Today...

http://blogs.usatoday.com/listenup




SPIN, August 2008
"3.5 stars. His gift for melody is straight from a higher power." -- SPIN

Product Description
In 1991 Matthew Sweet released Girlfriend, an alternative rock milestone, and quickly followed it up with two back-to back classics, Altered Beast and 100% Fun, that cemented his reputation as an elder statesman of indie-rock. Now, nine years after his last major solo release and on the heels of side projects with The Thorns and The Bangles' Susanna Hoffs, comes his long-awaited new album, Sunshine Lies, which hearkens back to the glories of his revered '90s albums. Features long-time sidemen Richard Lloyd (Television), Ivan Julian (Richard Hell & The Voidoids), Greg Leisz (Beck, Bill Frisell), Ric Menck (Velvet Crush), and a guest vocal by Susanna Hoffs (The Bangles).

01. Time Machine
02. Room to Rock
03. Byrdgirl
04. Flying
05. Feel Fear
06. Let's Love
07. Sunshine Lies
08. Pleasure Is Mine
09. Daisychain
10. Sunrise Eyes
11. Around You Now
12. Burn Through Love
13. Back of My Mind

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001CF06WE/?tag=imwan-20

Anybody know whatever happened to "The Thorns" ??
They had that one good album come out and then no more.

I heard that Matthew Sweet mentioned in an interview that The Thorns was basically a label invention, and it didn't take off. But, I liked both the album and the acoustic version of the album. Also, they were really tight live (much better than the album). It's a shame they didn't take it further, but I guess the reaction to it wasn't what they'd hoped. It seems all three have moved on from it.

Funny - His myspace page still has a preview clip, which calls the album "Rock Bottom" and projects a release date of "Fall 2006/Spring 2007."

'Bout damned time!

Three new songs have been posted on MS's myspace page:

http://www.myspace.com/matthewsweetmusic

I especially like "Byrd Girl."

This is good news.

FYI, this will be another of those "LP with bonus tracks but also a bonus CD" releases...



2-LP set contains the entire album plus four unreleased songs not on the CD version. Includes the full CD inside as a bonus.

01. Time Machine
02. Room to Rock
03. Byrdgirl
04. Flying
05. Feel Fear
06. Let's Love
07. Sunshine Lies
08. Pleasure Is Mine
09. Daisychain
10. Sunrise Eyes
11. Around You Now
12. Burn Through Love
13. Back of My Mind
14. Dark Blue *
15. Badass *
16. Could You Need Me? *
17. When You're Gone *

* bonus tracks

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001CITRCG/?tag=imwan-20

Here's the press release:

MATTHEW SWEET TO RELEASE KALEIDOSCOPIC MASTERWORK SUNSHINE LIES ON SHOUT! FACTORY: 8/26/2008

Los Angeles, CA – On August 26, Matthew Sweet will release his 10th studio album, Sunshine Lies, in a new alliance with Shout! Factory. Fans who have eagerly awaited the album's arrival (and have been tracking its progress under the working title Rock Bottom) will not be disappointed. Call it what you wish--Sweet terms it "power-pop-folk-rock-psychedelic-melodic-singer-songwriter-type stuff"--listeners will marvel at the depth and clarity of vision here. The album will also be released as a 2 LP set including four previously unreleased bonus tracks not available on the CD. For customer convenience, a CD will be included with purchases of the LP.

By turns achingly melodic and startlingly visceral, Sunshine Lies swirls with poetic emotion and stark attitude, bringing neatly into play the entire gamut of Sweet's stylistic experience. Flowing with masterful ease, Sweet’s uniquely personal songwriting never fails to delight, and he has described the album as "very direct, but seen through the eyes of nature, or rather modeled on its beauty, chaos and freedom, something like a stab at sonic art nouveau."

Sunshine Lies was recorded at Lolina Green Studios in Los Angeles, CA, and produced and mixed by Matthew Sweet. Susanna Hoffs appears on the album, providing backup vocals on the title track. While familiars Ric Menck (drums), Ivan Julian (guitar), Greg Leisz (guitar/pedal steel guitar) and Richard Lloyd (guitar) are all here as well, Sweet let chance lead the way during the recording. He managed to teleport his songs into a surprisingly more abstract and psychedelic space, finding a "sure and natural realm in words, melody and performance, like a carousel mindflower." Indeed. The vibrant Sunshine Lies will certainly revolve in your mind long after each listening.

Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, Sweet was part of the developing music scene in Athens, Georgia in the 1980s. Sweet came to fame in 1991 with his Top Five Modern Rock hit “Girlfriend,” off his certified gold album of the same name, followed by the critically acclaimed albums Altered Beast and the platinum follow up 100% Fun. After releasing a number of other excellent solo albums, Sweet formed The Thorns with fellow singer-songwriters Shawn Mullins and Pete Droge, and they released one self-titled album to positive reviews. Sweet then returned to his solo efforts, releasing Living Things and Kimi Ga Suki. In 2006 Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs collaborated on the Shout! Factory release Under The Covers Vol. 1, featuring 15 of the duo’s favorite pop tunes from the 1960s.

Bump ~ added pre-order link for the LP version to Cali's post above.

What is going on with the vinyl release for this? Yesterday, I clicked on Linda's link to AmazWan, and it stated "The manufacturer has discontinued this product". Right now, it shows "2 used & new available from these sellers", and it is not due for release until tomorrow(8/26)!

Where else can one obtain the 2-LP set?

Probably ran out of stock on the vinyl. I'm sure they'll be getting more soon. You could also try ordering direct from Shout! Factory: http://www.shoutfactorystore.com/prod.aspx?pfid=5256740

I went to pick this up @ a local Best Buy - they said they had two, but no one could find them...this BB also reduced its already reduced CD section...
I thought it was funny when the 'associate' looked puzzled by the name "Matthew Sweet"...I guess many of them were born or toddlers when Girlfriend came out, but wow!

Weird... I had exactly the same experience at my BB (Lynnwood, north of Seattle)...He was able to find the 2 copies in the back, but not before he asked me to spell "Matthew" for him.

Uh, that might be more than a music knowledge problem.

Hit another Best Buy - one fo the larger ones in the area - which has a pretty decent size collection - and they did not have it (I didn't ask, as I was running late as it was, and I wasted to much time mucking around with their keyboards in their new instrument area.)

I have options beyond BB of course, but now its a quest - plus I have some of those Best Buy bucks to burn...

iTunes has all four of the bonus vinyl tracks available for download, along with two more "deluxe edition" songs, "Meltdown" and "Could You Need Me."

Well, I finally received my vinyl set of this release from Amazon yesterday, and I am none too pleased with the shape in which it arrived . For some reason, the Amazon fulfillment center decided to ship the album in a 19x13x5 box, with no protection around the record at all, and only a few token air pillows over top. It slid around inside the carton, and one corner is badly bent and the spine is crushed in, nearly halfway up the edge.

Anyone else have problems with delivery of their LPs?

As a long-time M. Sweet fan - my impression after listening to it several times - is "just ok". I'll have to relisten to the bulk of his 90s output to be definitive - but to my ears this one of his weaker albums since 'Girlfriend', certainly not living up to the hype of many of reviews and articles I have read about it. And it certainly does not live up to my expectation of the many "the return of guitar" themes in the same articles (yes, more guitar, but not nearly as interesting as others...in fact..."Room To Rock" (the track most often cited) is one of the lesser pieces songwise).

Many of these articles reference "Living Things" for comparision; not necessarily maligning it as much as making it sound like that is Soft Sweet (referring to it as an acoustic album misrepresents it to a degree IMO). Maybe the argument is correct - more electric guitar solos on the new release - but I think "Living Things" is a better album than this one.

All this said, I will continue to listen and enjoy the little gems on the album - as Sweet is one of my favorite artists of the last couple of decades. And I am not saying it is a 'Bad' album by any stretch - it simply left me a little disappointed. I certainly don't see this as being 'his way back to relevence' I have read about (a paraphrased quote - I know they don't exist - well now they do).

* Appreciating the history of "Kimi Ga Suki * Raifu" - somehow making it sound like not a true release - I would say "Kimi Ga Suki * Raifu" is his great return to "Girlfriend" form (if that's what we're hoping for).

I agree with you, I was less than impressed by the new record. I keep going back and listening to it, thinking I'll enjoy it.
But each time I listen to I still come away feeling underwhelmed by it.

Sorry the post was supposed to say...

But each time I listen to "the CD", I still come away feeling underwhelmed by it.

If you're looking backwards, forget Girlfriend - give us a return to Altered Beast!

I think the only album of his that's had me hooked from go was In Reverse. All the others took several months before I really "got" them, but I now like all of the post-'80s ones. None moreso than Living Things, which I HATED hen it came out, but is now my 2nd favorite, after In Reverse.