The Matches - A Band In Hope [2008]

All I can say is this cd is quite different to what I expected to get from The Matches.
Where Decomposer was big with the jumpy tunes, A Band In Hope is so much more mellow in comparison.

I've only listened to it twice so far and I think it might need to grow on me. I like it, it's different and sounds good; it could've turned out a lot worse than what it did, but I think I was expecting a second Decomposer. Isn't that sad?

The first thing I have to say is that the song Darkness Rising has me thinking about how Queen-like it sounds. I love it. Jon's voice sounds so lovely, he should sing more often, it's like a lullaby being sung only to me. I could fall asleep to that song. It's beautiful. So far it is my favourite song on this cd.
And Clouds Crash is fucking gorgeous. My mind just wanders off when I listen to it. Since I've started writing this blog, I've had these two songs playing the most out of the whole cd. They write such pretty songs, they do indeed. I could fall asleep to this song also.

Point Me Toward The Morning retains it's usual Matches sound, complete with the faint 'woo' at the beginning. It's nice to hear a song that doesn't sound totally different to their usual sound on this cd, even if it's about seven tracks in. It's a good tune, and really quite catchy.

I'd have to say, so far, that AM Tilts is maybe my least favourite song on the cd. I know for a fact that upon listening more, I'll probably come to enjoy the song much more than I currently do, is is exactly what happened when I listened to the band's previous endeavours.

All in all, I'm really surprised with this cd. I've gone from expecting another Decomposer and ready to jump around to the fun of it, to starting to embrace the charms of something quite different to what I at first expected. And embracing I am!
I recommend this cd to you all. There isn't a bad thing about it all. But I think The Matches injected me long ago with some kind of blissful serum that seeps in through my ears and goes into my bloodstream, with a one way ticket to shoot them straight into my heart.

I could be biased because I really adore this band, but I'm thankful this cd is such a gem, considering the recent woe I experienced at the hands of the new Smashing Pumpkins.

4/5.