Lights. Camera. Ambition.

The Matches - A Band In Hope
Posted by Laila Hanson on 03-Jun-08 @ 04:44 PM

[3.5/5]
Upon first listen to A Band In Hope, no track seems as instantly memorable as "Salty Eyes" or "What Katie Said" from the Matches' 2006 album Decomposer. However, subsequent spins unearth the nuances and detail found in each song, from the anthemic, stage-ready arrangements ("Darkness Rising," an homage to Queen and show tunes) to stripped-down acoustic numbers ("Clouds Crash"). Longtime Matches producer Mike Green worked on half the album, while six others (including John Feldmann and 311's Nick Hexum) split the rest. This amalgamation could account for any sense of unevenness musically; the lo-fi "From 24C" and the rambunctious pop-punk of "Yankee In A Chip Shop" (produced by Rancid's Tim Armstrong) couldn't be more different. But no matter the approach, each song carries an ambitious, theatrical and uplifting spirit-an answer to the darker themes of Decomposer. Even if the masses don't immediately embrace it, the Matches have definitely left the door to Hope open. (EPITAPH) Rachel Lux


Official Website: http://www.epitaph.com