Thrift Store Music: Matty Pop Chart

Friday, August 8, 2014

Matty Pop Chart - Good Old Water

Name: Matty Pop Chart
Album: Good Old Water:
Year: 2005
Style: Folk, Indie, Twee
Similar Bands: Tullycraft, Beulah, Mosquitos, Ed's Redeeming Qualities, Neil Halsted
One Word Review: Airy Strums
Based Out Of: Bloomington, IN
Label: Friends & Relatives Records, Plan-It X Records

Good Old Water - Cover, Credits, CD

Good Old Water - Back, Lyrics

Good Old Water (2005)

For Chris 1:49
Ghost Dream 2:48
Springtime II 1:38
Jimmy Jam 3:27
Wedding Song 2:20
The Sun Lights Strong 2:31
For Erin 3:13
Jason Dear 2:57
Floating Dreams 3:13
The Wind 2:58
Toy Piano 1:38
Jimmy Jam II 7:48

Album Rating (1-10): 6.5

Members & Other Bands:
Justin Vollmar - Recording, elec Guitar, Singing

Matt Tobey - Vox, Guitar, Baritone Ukulele, Percussion, Piano, Violin, Toy Piano (Abe Froman, Ghost Mice, Your Heart Breaks, Memory Map, Mt Gigantic, Good Luck, Lily & Madeleine)

Erin Tobey - Vox, Layout

David Combs - Vox, Ukulele (Spoonboy, Max Levine Ensemble)

Theo Hilton - Vox, Guitar (Nana Grizol, Defiance, Ohio)

Kimya Dawson - Vox (Moldy Peaches, Uncluded, Bundles, )

Chris Johnston - Vox

Hannah Jones - Vox

Mike Dixon - Mastering

Brian Chase - Manatee Photo

Unknown-ness: I’ve never heard of the band. But I picked up the CD in a local thrift shop because I appreciated the bulky, paper cut artwork. The name sounds like a fun playful experience, so I am hoping the music will carry that naïve, juvenile feeling through.

Album Review: Whoever bought this probably did so because Kimya Dawson from the Moldy Peaches is named as a band member, but they must have gotten rid of it since her participation is not that much or obvious. I looked up Matt Tobey since 2005, and last year, he made a concept EP dedicated to his neighbor and internet superstar, Bubs the cat. He’s also in two bands currently, but I’ve not delved into their catalogues or styles.

“For Chris” is a very nasally vocals and acoustic strummed guitar. The vocals have a very Tullycraft feel to them, but even more nasally. Drums and slide guitar join in, and the rollicking, folksy song.

“Ghost Dream” is lighter and sounds like a late night porch memory. There are layered vocals, giving it depth, but it has a very airy feel, and a slight country vibe. At one point toward the end, it almost gets rocking, but it thinks better of itself, and finishes out the song on a somber note.

“Springtime II” is a bouncy acoustic-plucked number with bongo percussion. It is fun and dancey, but short. There is a pause in the song that would make you think it is another track, but it comes back into the familiar melody.

“Jimmy Jam” follows suit with a light and airy dreamy song of just vocals + strum/plucked guitars. The vocals feel very close to the front of the production mix. The harmonized chorus of vocals lifts the song out of the steady but happy monotony.

“Wedding Song” is again, just guitar played with the nasally vocals. The Vocals are sung in a rambling style, and the light, pleasant guitar work could be used as guests arrive to be seated. The song includes violin too, which brings a tinge of sadness to the joyful melody.

“The Sun Light's Strong” sounds like a Muppet floating in a small row boat, just bouncing with the waves in a very care free manor. Again, the song is just guitars and vocals. The vocals singing the song title chorus is harmonized and positive.

“For Erin” is a side to side somber song. At 1:20, the song picks up and drums and tambourine are added and the song’s sway becomes more obvious. The pace picks up ever so slightly toward the end, and the repetitive loop of a melody ceases, and relaxes. The instrumentation goes away, and the song finishes up right where it started.

“Jason Dear” parallels the second track on the album is slightly sunny, airy folk strumming. For the most part it is a practice in repetition, until a second guitar is layered over the rhythm at the end.

“Floating Dreams” is a continuation of side to side head swaying. The vocals are not as pronounced here, and there is a just little extra oomph behind the percussive guitar.

“The Wind” starts, only seeming like a pause in the song before, rather than a whole new track. This song slows down a little further, and the bit of echo on the strumming makes me think of sitting on a beach in Hawaii. There are also beach references, so the mood and lyrics match up knowingly.

“Toy Piano” is exactly as it is named. It sounds like a rickety toy, nearing the point of collapsing on itself. There are no vocals on this track, it just sounds like a wind-up toy or a snow globe. The second verse through really speeds things up, and it evokes a carnival sound, not unlike what Madness will sometimes use. And as if it were a wound up toy, it slows down at the end to a crawl, and mimicking it even further, it plays one song after you think it is done.

“Jimmy Jam II” employs the toy piano in this faster swaying song. Lots of “guest” vocals are used for support. This song also feels a lot like Tully Craft and Beulah in pace and its rolling-melody vocal style. The song only lasts 2:13, but the empty track keeps going until 7:22, when a foreign marching song for 2 short versus is hidden for 26 seconds.

Stand Out Track: For Chris

Links:
Bandcamp