Matchbook
Romance’s ‘Voices’ not
typical
By Matthew Wilkinson
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
It’s not often that a band tries to redefine themselves with their sophomore
release, but Matchbook Romance is trying to do just that. Their first LP “Stories
and Alibis” sold 200,000 copies—which might not sound like a lot
but for being on an indie label, getting little-to-no promotion or radio airplay
it’s an astonishing number. The band has built their fan base almost completely
off the Internet and by touring with bands like Fall Out Boy, Taking Back Sunday
and multiple VansWarped Tours.
When it came time to work on the follow-up to their debut, the band wanted to
do something different. They wanted to get rid of their “screamo” label
they wanted to take their music to a new level, and wanted to declare war on
power chords. So they hooked up with producer John Goodmanson and shacked up
in Longview Farms Studios to record.
The result is “Voices,” an 11-track album filled with slashing guitar
solos and haunting lyrics. While their previous release had more of a love theme,
the new one focuses more on secrets, regrets and betrayal. From the first seconds
of “You Can Run, But We’ll Find You,” the first track on the
disc, you can tell this is a different Matchbook Romance. The track starts with
a lone piano solo, followed by drums. Vocalist-guitarist Andy Jordan’s
eerie vocals come in as the track crescendos into a plethora of ominous screams
and guitar that run hand-in-hand with the song’s stalker theme.
Rounding out the disc is a group of ballads that pick up right where “Stories
and Alibis” left off. The new cuts are more moody and dramatic with Jordan
showing off a deeper, richer vocal range. The band even brought in a string section
to give a gentler touch to “Goody, Like Two Shoes” and “What
a Sight,” two of the slower songs on the album.
Although Matchbook Romance might not have a complete rebirth in their most recent
release, I believe the absence of screamy vocals and cheap breakdowns shows a
good amount of growth for the group. All 11 tracks have a quality that lets them
permeate through the room with a certain amount of intensity that can find you
tapping your feet, even if you’re not paying attention.
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