Matthew Good - Avalanche

I don't usually go for the pretentious artists that go on and on with their tireless spiels. Knowing this, my friends can't ever figure out why I like Matthew Good (or, more specifically, the now-defunct Matthew Good Band). My explanation is that I don't necessarily agree with what he blabs about, but instead I really just love the songs he writes, his lyrics, and how really great his voice is. Sadly, those three things can't save his recent solo attempt, Avalanche. First off, this album has far too many political undertones for my liking. There is a line drawn as to how much of this stuff I can swallow while still enjoying the record; Mr. Good crossed it. "21st Century Living" begs to know if you want everything in your life super-sized (and no, he's not just referring to your fries and Coke). He must have been referring to the super-sized lengths of his songs, two of which clock in at over eight minutes while the rest fall around five to six minutes. "Pledge Of Allegiance", the opening track, is my favorite on the disc. It's very simple yet effective and boasts great vocals, a choir, and even church bells. Once I got past a pretty strong first half of this CD, I began to really start missing what the Matthew Good Band accomplished. "Weapon" is the only real 'rock' song on the record; MGB fans won't find any "Load Me Up" or "Hello Time Bomb" copies on this one. "While We Were Hunting Rabbits", one of the aforementioned 8-minute long monsters, is just packed with music, but feels like it goes nowhere. So, Matthew, trim down the songs, cut out the pretentious political ramblings and you'll have a great sophomore solo record. Just make sure you keep singing the way you do and writing the great melodies the way you can. [www.matthewgood.com]