Matthew Good — Vancouver

Vancouver

Universal

Kate Harper (CHARTattack)

10/09/2009 4:37pm

Matthew Good's fourth solo album, Vancouver, is a concept disc about his experiences in the city of the same name.

If the album sounds like it'd be at home a lot earlier in this decade, that's with good reason and that's not a diss. Musically, Vancouver has a lot in common with 2001's The Audio Of Being, the final album released by the Matthew Good Band.

"Last Parade" is very, very similar to The Audio Of Being's "Man Of Action," and most of Vancouver features the same type of orchestra-backed, anthemic, soaring tracks that were found on the former record. Even though Good himself has been outspoken about his dislike for The Audio Of Being, that Vancouver sounds like it isn't a bad thing.

Of course, this wouldn't be a Good disc without some kind of social criticism that sounds cynical but really isn't, and Vancouver is both a love and hate letter to the city. One can't help but think of the downtown east side when Good sings, "We all live downtown/We all die downtown/Step over ourselves" on "The Vancouver National Anthem." And while the disc is about his experiences with the city, he hasn't overly entrenched himself in it, which was one of the main complaints many people had with 2007's inwardly-focused Hospital Music.

As such, Vancouver is full of strong tunes, which makes it a nice return to form and it should put Good firmly back on the map.

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