100% Fun is my favorite Matthew Sweet album and Smog Moon is one of it's best songs! I think he's been underrated for some of the more quietly reflective songs he's written. I'm also a big fan of "I Almost Forgot" from the same album. It's really a beautiful and layered lyric.
My first time hearing this "Smog Moon" and its album, Dan! I'm on the "other side" of Sweet fandom, from the beginning of his career! Don't know quite what you know about Matthew, but he's always been one of our most fervent purveyors of power pop! Put him together with Susannah Hoffs, and you've got two lovers (and protectors) of pure pop for now people!
They've done a couple of cover albums together, and there's nothing quite like seasoned pros like those two getting together to carefully craft their own version of sounds and songs they love and treasure!
I kinda borrowed their idea for this article, where I feature an awful lot of covers of Raspberries songs, including Susannah and Matthew's loving cover of Eric Carmen's "Go All the Way"! I bet you find other covers you enjoy, too, in the piece, even (especially) if you're not well-versed in the 'Berries catalog! Enjoy!👉 https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/grow-bigger-ears-17-raspberries-best?utm_source=publication-search
Great post, Joe! I’ve not kept up with Matthew Sweet at all since he first appeared on the scene (musically speaking, most of the ‘90s was/is a black hole for me), so I feel inspired to spend time with Sweet’s songs. I also appreciated this: “It makes sense that returning to your favorite songs and artists in times of need, when faced with cognitive dissonance of any sort, would smooth the edges, the wholeness of music helping to cohere us when we’re pulled apart by life.” In the language of clinical trauma treatment, this might be termed a “flight” response… but, honestly, what better oasis to fly off into is there than a great song?? Cohesion rather than flight sounds right to me.
100% Fun is my favorite Matthew Sweet album and Smog Moon is one of it's best songs! I think he's been underrated for some of the more quietly reflective songs he's written. I'm also a big fan of "I Almost Forgot" from the same album. It's really a beautiful and layered lyric.
Yeah., "I Almost Forgot" is a terrific song, you're right! Beautiful album.
My first time hearing this "Smog Moon" and its album, Dan! I'm on the "other side" of Sweet fandom, from the beginning of his career! Don't know quite what you know about Matthew, but he's always been one of our most fervent purveyors of power pop! Put him together with Susannah Hoffs, and you've got two lovers (and protectors) of pure pop for now people!
They've done a couple of cover albums together, and there's nothing quite like seasoned pros like those two getting together to carefully craft their own version of sounds and songs they love and treasure!
I kinda borrowed their idea for this article, where I feature an awful lot of covers of Raspberries songs, including Susannah and Matthew's loving cover of Eric Carmen's "Go All the Way"! I bet you find other covers you enjoy, too, in the piece, even (especially) if you're not well-versed in the 'Berries catalog! Enjoy!👉 https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/grow-bigger-ears-17-raspberries-best?utm_source=publication-search
Oh yeah! I’ve been following Sweet for decades! He’ll be regularly appearing in my Top Tens soon! Love the covers albums.
What no Altered Beast (1993)??!! Anyhoo, biiig Power Pop and Matthew Sweet fan here. Yeah!
Great post, Joe! I’ve not kept up with Matthew Sweet at all since he first appeared on the scene (musically speaking, most of the ‘90s was/is a black hole for me), so I feel inspired to spend time with Sweet’s songs. I also appreciated this: “It makes sense that returning to your favorite songs and artists in times of need, when faced with cognitive dissonance of any sort, would smooth the edges, the wholeness of music helping to cohere us when we’re pulled apart by life.” In the language of clinical trauma treatment, this might be termed a “flight” response… but, honestly, what better oasis to fly off into is there than a great song?? Cohesion rather than flight sounds right to me.
Works for me almost every time!