I went to go see a friend's rock band last Friday. After the gig, wanting to support and encourage my friend, I purchased his album, took it home, popped it into the CD player and...
Wow.
This is a phenomenally great debut album.
The CD is No Stone Unturned by Matthew Stewart. Unlike the live gig, in which Matt's lead guitar and vocals were backed by three other musicians, the CD is entirely Matt's production -- he plays all the instruments (drums, keyboards, bass, lead and rhythm guitars), sings all the vocals (lead and harmony), wrote all the lyrics, composed all the tunes, and recorded the whole thing himself at home. And yet, it doesn't sound anything like a typical home-brew project. The songwriting is good, the singing is good, the production is stellar, and the arrangements are terrific. Vocal lines shift seamlessly in and out of harmony parts. Interesting vocal effects add drama. Phrases overlap each other. It is one of the best self-produced pop albums I've ever heard.
I listened to the CD straight through, twice in a row when I first got it. And I've been playing it more or less non-stop all week since then. The more I hear it, the deeper my appreciation of its strengths becomes. I am truly floored by how much work must have gone into creating an album this complex, and by how spectacular the end-result is.
In addition to its sensuous, lush sound, the album is rich in nuances that reward repeated listenings. The drum part on "Circle" builds in intensity and combines with a pulsating/rotating synthesizer part that relentlessly drives the song to its exhilarating conclusion.
There is a moment in "Army of Angels", just after Matt delivers the line "Army of angels, on burning wings", where he's added a little guitar whoosh sound, creating an interplay between the music and the words which is typical of the high level of craftsmanship that has gone into the album as whole.
"Goodnight", a song apparently about the death of the singer's mother, is perhaps the most beautiful song on the CD. It slowly builds to a transcendent choir of multitracked vocals that is quite breathtaking.
Then there is "Drown", a song so impeccably arranged and produced, it easily gets my vote for the song on No Stone Unturned that is most likely to achieve the status of "hit single".
Finally, the sound quality of the CD is fabulous, allowing one to hear clearly the layers upon layers of percolating percussion, bass, guitar and keyboard parts, and multitracked vocals. The whole album has a rich, enveloping sound that is a decadent, sonic delight from start to finish.
No Stone Unturned is a winner. It gets my highest, most enthusiastic recommendation.