Major Matt Mason USA - Honey Are You Ready For The Ballet?

"Honey, Are You Ready For The Ballet?"

1. Shark Attack
2. Misdirected
3. Follow Her
4. You’re A Girl
5. Mittens
6. Hunted
7. Pet Rock
8. Tow The Line
9. Lame
10. Surface Depth
11. It’s All You
          

"When push comes to shove, Americans always seem to have that lo-fi troubadour thing down better than anyone else; and be assured, the spirit of Dando flows thick through this one.
Released on Shoeshine Records, a label formed by Francis Macdonald of Teenage Fanclub and the BMX Bandits, Major Matt Mason USA's second album comprises 11 ramshackle-yet-poetic lo-fi folk offerings. And they are by and large very, very good. Don't let the down-in-the-basement production and sounds deceive you; these are accomplished songs, albeit ones that suit their vehicle to a tee.
Vocally, MMM sounds a lot like a more nasal Michael Stipe, in a Fables Of The Reconstruction-era style. Content wise, the songs are simple, acoustic-driven tales of urban life. Part of the infamous NY anti-folk scene whch includes Moldy Peaches, The joy of MMM comes through his lyrics, perfectly-formed vignettes, invariably bittersweet. Take one of the album highlights, 'Follow her': "She'll follow you the whole way down / When you run your life into the ground... / So you'll go to her when you end your day / And you'll follow her the whole way down". Think a more flippant Elliot Smith, or if Billy Bragg didn't have the political agenda and came from NY rather than Barking. Simple, yet affecting, witty and clever. We salute the Major. 4/5"
(Drownedinsound.com)

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