Search - Cardinal :: Cardinal

An absolutely glorious Richard Davies / Eric Matthews collab

Robert Moore | Chicago, IL USA | 11/25/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As I write this review Amazon is offering CARDINAL as half of a twofer with Eric Matthews's FOUNDATION SOUNDS. There are a couple of problems with that offer. First, FOUNDATION SOUNDS is absolutely not the album by Eric Matthews that you want to get. Try IT'S HEAVY IN HERE instead. Second, the offer somehow suggests that Eric Matthews and Richard Davies are equal attractions on this album. They are not. While Matthews did the arrangements for the album, sang back up, and penned one of the songs, this is very close to a Richard Davies solo album. Davies wrote nearly every song on the album and sang all except the one written by Matthews. Furthermore, upon ending their one-album collaboration Davies went on to a string of absolutely stunning solo albums. Matthews has had a decent solo career, while Davies has had a stellar one.



This album resulted from Richard Davies first leaving his previous band The Moles and then leaving Australia for the United States. On one level Davies doesn't break much or even any new ground on the album. On the other hand every song on the album is simply a perfectly crafted gem. Many of the songs are almost delicate in their construction, as befitting the somber, melancholic tone of the songs. Even in songs where the lyrics belie the sound, the album has a sad, yearning feel to it. "You've Lost Me There" is merely one example. That song is, by the way, one of the standout cuts on the disc. There are many others, though my other favorites include "If You Believe in Christmas Trees," "Big Mink," and "Silver Machines."



I would strongly recommend getting the expanded version of the album. to be honest, most albums with bonus cuts feel cluttered to me. I usually find that when I put the CDs on my iPod I just eliminate the bonus tracks. Usually they get it right in the original cuts selected for the album. There are obviously exceptions (e.g., the extended version of The Byrds' SWEETHEART OF THE RADIO, which restores all of Gram Parsons's lead vocals), but for the most part bonus cuts are a waste. That is NOT true here. The additional cuts are either songs that didn't make the final version of the album but didn't or wonderful demo versions. I especially love the demo versions of two of my favorite songs, "If You Believe in Christmas Trees" and "You Lost Me There." I don't think the original version of the album is currently available, but I put there out there as a warning to anyone who might be contemplating buying the album used.



I would definitely put this album in the "must-own" category. Certainly anyone who loves alt-pop should own it. Anyone who is already a fan of Richard Davies probably already has it, but on the off chance that someone is a fan but doesn't know this, it is probably the best work of his career. And that is in part the result of the excellent arrangements by Eric Matthews."