Syd Matters [Bonus Disc] (CD) by Syd Matters

0638812726025. New condition. CD. With the success of such late-'90s classics as The Bends and OK Computer, Radiohead introduced the world to a new musical approach where acoustic guitars interlocked with electronics. But with Thom Yorke and company getting further and further away from this direction with each artsier album, a void occurred and created a niche for artists like Syd Matters. Armed with his trusty acoustic and a voice perfect for storytelling, Matters quickly built a solid following in France on the strength of a single, a pair of EP's, and a 2003 full-length, A Whisper and A Sigh. Issuing his sophomore full-length in early 2005, Someday We Will Foresee Obstacles, the fine folks at V2 Music came up with the idea to package both full-length's together a few months later as the double-disc set Syd Matters (which borrows the same cover artwork as his last studio album). Matters' debut album is reflective of the aforementioned style -- acoustic and electronic worlds merged together -- while his follow-up sees the singer/songwriter ditch most of the electronics in favor of other instrumentation. With Matters' debut full-length out of print and impossible to find stateside, fans will certainly welcome the arrival of this compilation (priced as a single disc, to boot). ~ Greg Prato, Rovi