CMJ New Music Report
Some of our more archivally-minded readers may remember Matthew Sweet from a band called Buzz Of Delight; others will recall his somewhat underappreciated solo LP on Columbia; most, however, will recognize his name from scouring the liner notes of the most recent Golden Palominos LP. Now Sweet has re-emerged on a new label with a similarly stellar cast of stand-ins: check the fine print to find cameos from 3/4 of Trip Shakespeare, and you just might recognize the prominent beehive hairdo of B-52 Kate Pierson filling in on background vocals, as well as credits for nods, nudges and knobbery from such notables as Scott Litt and Anton Fier; and right in the middle, almost stealing the limelight at times, we find the truly transcendent, scintilling lead guitar lines of Richard Lloyd. While Lloyd almost steals the solo spotlight on cuts like "Underground," his playing is never flashy or overblown. The main emphasis here (as well it should be) is on Sweet's considerable songwriting talents; "When I Feel Again" chugs along, borrowing the thoroughly patented Mitch Easter/Let's Active pop choogle for its central hook, while "The Wind And The Sun" and the simple arrangements of "Having A Bad Dream" show Sweet for the songwriting talent he truly is.
Rolling Stone
By David Kissinger
Matthew Sweet's first album, Inside, was a sadly neglected trove of ingenious power pop. On Earth, his second album, Sweet proves that the breezy charm of his debut was no melodic fluke. Earth yields another crop of consistently catchy and inventive pop songs that combine the airy mysticism of R.E.M. with the playfulness of stylists like Nick Lowe and Lindsey Buckingham. Radio-ready tracks such as "When I Feel Again" and "Vertigo" catch the ear while conjuring dreamlike images ("There's a mountain/Inside of you/My vision I swear it's true").
Yet for all its shrewd craftsmanship, Earth occasionally seems a tad bloodless. This problem is compounded by the album's high-tech production, which at times threatens to engulf Sweet's modest vocals in a blizzard of synthesized effects. Fortunately, the songs get boosts of raucous energy from the solos of guitarists Richard Lloyd and Robert Quine. With their boisterous assistance, Sweet comes close to achieving that elusive ideal: pop music that's as intelligent as it is exuberant.