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Matthew Barber
If we must look at popular music as consisting of various genres, and if we agree that "singer-songwriter" is one of those genres, it must be granted that among singer-songwriters there are those who rock and those who do not rock. Matthew Barber, with the help of his band the Union Dues, is one of those singer-songwriters who rocks. Perhaps not in the way that AC/DC or Led Zeppelin rock - after all, they are archetypal rock and roll bands; but rather in the way that people like Neil Young, Elvis Costello, Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen have rocked ever since Bob Dylan plugged in and set his majestic lyrics and melodies against a backdrop of electric energy and a backbeat.
The songs on Matthew Barber's new record Sweet Nothing are undeniably those of a singer-songwriter. They were written in isolation, in the basement or backyard or bedroom of their author, mainly on acoustic guitar. But the majority of them were written with the rhythm in mind, with the guitar hooks and bass lines imagined, and with the ultimate intention of being belted out live with the Union Dues. The result is a record that is lyrically captivating, melodically sophisticated and disarmingly personal without forsaking the importance of the groove, the hooks and ultimately the rock.
This is not to suggest that Sweet Nothing is without its down-tempo moments. Tunes such as the lilting country-tinged "Love/Death", the horn-inflected "Morning Light" and the trance-inducing "Easy To Fall" all have slow-dance potential (every great rock record has it's ballads). The album also features two tunes that - reflecting the elegance of Matthew's solo shows - are stripped of the band and embellished only with pump organ, wine glasses and ambient slide guitar ("Water From A Tap" and the closer "Untitled" - recorded to an old 8-track in Barber's basement).
But the driving force behind the album comes from the tunes cut essentially live off the floor (save for vocals and assorted sweeteners) by the four-piece band of Barber and Peter Elkas on guitar, Julian Brown on bass and Joel Stouffer on drums. Among these are the infectious lead-off track "Soft One", the swampy gospel-rock tune "Awful Dream", the Stones-ish dance number "The Plea" and the Wilburys-esque epic "Like Lightning".
Recorded at the slightly cramped but magical Rogue studio in Toronto during one of the coldest winters on record, the album was steered by producer Marty Kinack who is best known for his production work on Sarah Harmer's Juno award-winning album All of Our Names, as well as his live sound work with Broken Social Scene. Marty facilitated Barber's vision, got great sounds and most importantly kept things fun from beginning to end.
After the bulk of the tracks were captured at the Rogue, some additional vocals and assorted overdubs were recorded at Marty's home, using his bedroom as a live room. During this time a few special guests dropped by including Matthew's sister Jill Barber, who delivered haunting vocals on "Easy To Fall" and "Love/Death", and the horn duo of James Shaw (Metric) and Evan Cranley (Stars) who played trumpet and trombone respectively on "Morning Light" and the jive-inspired "Bad Side Hide". When everything was laid-down, it was back to the Rogue to mix, and then down to New York where Greg Calbi contributed his frighteningly experienced ear to the project in the mastering stage.
There is nothing remotely trendy about Sweet Nothing. It is simply a collection of killer songs written from an honest and often heartbreaking perspective, and delivered by musicians whose passion for the music is clearly evident. Thematically, the songs chronicle a year in the life of a man in his twenties, feeling too much like a boy, torn apart by love and lack thereof, searching for what he really wants.
As you may have gathered, the musical influences are often on the older side. This is not surprising considering Matthew's vinyl collection is one of his most cherished possessions. Yet the influence of a steady diet of turn-of-the-21st century indie music courtesy of six years as a college radio DJ is not to be ignored.
"There are elements of modern music that really excite me," says Matthew, "especially some of the bands that are coming out of my own country and current hometown of Toronto. But during the writing of this record I was listening to a lot of stuff that has stood the test of time, and I think that my aim with this record was to write songs that will survive the inevitable coming and going of trends, fads and the twenty-year retro-rehash cycle that seems to be perpetually popular."
Over the last three years of touring and releasing records (2003's Means and Ends on indie label Paper Bag Records and 2004's Warner debut E.P. The Story Of Your Life) Matthew has grown immensely as a songwriter and performer. He's had the good fortune to tour the country with great artists such as Matt Mays and El Torpedo, Buck 65, Boy, Peter Elkas, Joel Plaskett, Emm Gryner and his sister Jill Barber. He intends to tour even more extensively in the near future both as a solo performer and with his band the Union Dues. So do yourself a favour and don't miss him when he comes to your town, for Matthew's commitment to passionately convincing live shows is unwavering.
Sweet Nothing is the record Matthew envisioned himself making when he first started writing songs a decade ago. It was released in September 2005. Listen to it and let it move you.
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The Plea
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Matthew Barber
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Morning Light
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Matthew Barber
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Soft One
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Matthew Barber
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