Jump to content
Crusader

Chaotic Neutral 2015/2016 Tour Dates

By Crusader, in Matthew Good

Recommended Posts

Williammunny11

Williammunny11

Posted
Posted (edited)

Hey everyone......my review of Chaotic Neutral for Soundblab.com:

 

http://soundblab.com/reviews/albums/8213-matthew-good-chaotic-neutral

 

 

Chaotic Neutral
Matthew Good

Label: 
Release date: 2015-09-25

 

Few artists are ever truly allotted a ‘second chance’ by the ever-growing fickle record buying public.  Striking out on your own (or better yet, ‘going solo’) is usually analogous to career suicide.  But after enjoying platinum success and an incredible run in the late 90’s/early 00’s with the alt-rock band that shared his name (Matthew Good Band), Matthew Good has somehow managed to do just that, fostering a solo-career that has all but eclipsed his former band’s glory.

 

And now, almost 20 years into his solo career, he has succeeded in creating an artistic identity that stands completely alone, unencumbered by the shadow of his former ‘rock-star’ glory.  And with the release of his seventh solo album, Chaotic Neutral, Good firmly and succinctly re-establishes what longtime fans have known forever: Matthew Good is writing the best music of his career.

 

Chaotic Neutral, as the vague ‘D&D’ reference would suggest, is an album of extremes, encapsulating the best moments of Good’s previous two releases, seamlessly combining the lush orchestration of Lights Of Endangered Species with the more immediate swagger of Arrows of Desire.  And while the strength of both of those albums lied in the focused, albeit somewhat one-dimensional approach of the material, Chaotic Neutral thrives squarely somewhere in the balance of the two.  

 

The album begins with an immediately familiar ring of “All You Sons and Daughters”, a song that could have easily been a late 90’s hit for his former band.  “Moment” and “Kid Down The Well” continue the albums momentum with a more ‘rocked-out’ treatment for songs that easily could have stood on their own as acoustic numbers.  “No Liars” flat out swings while “Harridan” serves as the album’s defacto centerpiece, a sprawling epic that serves as the albums most sincere nod to the grand, orchestrated vibe of Lights.

 

Where the first half starts with a bang, the second half of the album tends to burn at a simmer, with songs like “Tiger By The Tail” and “Cold Water” featuring sparser arrangements that only serve to highlight what is undoubtedly some of Good’s best lyrical content ever. It’s here where the nuanced production serves the songs best (especially the quieter ones) revealing initially over-looked subtleties with repeated listens.

 

I was originally skeptical when I saw the Kate Bush song “Cloudbusting” (featuring the criminally underrated Holly McNarland) in the track listing, but the song is simply a triumph, reverently conveying the intent of the original with enough deviation to make it stand on it’s own.

 

The album closes with a hushed whisper in the ballad “Los Alamos”, a song that simply ranks up there among the best vocal performances of Good’s career.  Chaotic Neutral feels like the final act of an unintentional trilogy, perfectly tying together the impressively wide range of sonic textures that the previous releases Lights and Arrows outlined.  

 

With a back catalogue as bulletproof as Good’s it makes it that much more impressive to consider that at this point (when he could simply rest on his artistic laurels, mining his previous hits on the ever-lucrative live nostalgia circuit) Good is still releasing such focused records.  And with the release of Chaotic Neutral, he has managed to bookend the kind of three-album run that most artists would die for.

Edited by Williammunny11
  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Computer

Computer

Posted
Posted

I've seen Matt several times, but I find it harder and harder to justify spending $132 after fees for two tickets. I realize that as an established musician who earns most of their revenue touring that this price needs to be what it is for travel, band, and other expenses... But after seeing Destroyer play the same venue with a 7-8 piece band for literally half the cost of admission I can't justify it this year. =(

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest Idioteque

Guest Idioteque

Posted
Posted

Counting down the days until his Vancouver shows. Was planning on doing the entire west coast but my Dad just found out he has to go through radioactive therapy so my wallet is under emergency shutdown.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
hoogie

hoogie

Posted
Posted

Counting down the days until his Vancouver shows. Was planning on doing the entire west coast but my Dad just found out he has to go through radioactive therapy so my wallet is under emergency shutdown.

 

That sucks.  Sorry to hear about it.  Hoping for the best.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest Idioteque

Guest Idioteque

Posted
Posted

I hope the setlist is Chaotic Neutral/Vancouver/Hospital Music heavy.

 

I keep forgetting about the VIP soundcheck & acoustic set, my mind can't prepare for the +40 MG songs I get to hear in the span of 2 days.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
AnOceanPearl

AnOceanPearl

Posted
Posted

I hope the setlist is Chaotic Neutral/Vancouver/Hospital Music heavy.

 

I keep forgetting about the VIP soundcheck & acoustic set, my mind can't prepare for the +40 MG songs I get to hear in the span of 2 days.

 

I wouldn't get your hopes up too much about a lot of HM/Vancouver stuff being played, just based on the songs he's played from those albums during the last couple tours. Which is a bummer, because I'd also love to hear more stuff from those albums.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
adam_777

adam_777

Posted
Posted (edited)

Yeah, For HM you'er basically Born Losers, and maybe an acoustic Metal Airplanes or 99% and Vancouver is essentially just Last Parade based on last couple of tours.  One thing I've always liked about going to Matt's tours is if you go to the tour supporting the album and have the chance to see a few shows you'll almost certainly hear the vast majority, if not all of the new album live.  I really appreciate that he devotes time to the new material as it makes every show fresh.  Although once that tour is done, it seems with the new albums that you're pretty limited to what you'll hear on subsequent tours. 

I was fortunate to be able to hear all of Vancouver and Arrows live, and all, But In a Place of Lesser Men from Lights.  Looking forward to hearing how the new album translates live.  

Edited by adam_777
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.

  I accept