Matthew Good - Hospital Music Album Review

Matthew Good
Hospital Music
Album Review

Matthew Good was the main man in one of Canada's most successful indie bands, the Matthew Good Band, until dissolving it in 2002 to pursue solo interests like poetry. After an unintended spell in hospital, and a diagnosis of bipolar disorder to go with his marriage falling apart, he wrote the 15 songs here - his seventh, and third solo, album. All are deeply, shockingly direct and lyrically remarkable. Good's voice burns with the intensity of pre-patronising Michael Stipe, and the songs here have the attack of the best REM. The opener, Champions of Nothing, is a riveting 9 minute song that builds in intensity throughout - leaving you wrung out before heading into the rest of the album. But it is worth the trip - this is intelligent, angry, poetic music that is as good as rock gets. Good reaches high - this isn't a small album sonically (at least not until the album closer, a cover of Daniel Johnston's True Love Will Find You In The End) - and infallibly hits the target. If you liked Document-era REM, Hospital Music will be just perfect.

4.5/5

Mike Rea