It’s difficult to describe Matt Good’s voice -- probably because it’s so damn iconic. The last-ditch snarl of a cornered cat? Not sure if it wants to incite pity or fear? Just as powerful as it is wavery, really -- make no mistake, these pipes shake floors. Look, the guy is not a happy camper. Sometimes he’s downright insufferable. This is what it sounds like to be cursed at by the emotionally fragile -- if only all headcases could sing like this.

Fourth solo record from the certifiably manic former frontman of Matthew Good Band, who are quite possibly the most underrated “popular in Canada, nobodies here” act to burst from the 90s “alternative” scene -- their sound was later exploited hardcore by 2000s “I <3 Joy Division” bands like the Editors, Muse, Interpol, etc, but MGB did it better, with more venom, more guitar, and more intelligent lyrics. In all, intense, dark, psychological, spiral/swirl wall-of-sound electric alt rock. I realise that sounds like all those bands you hate, but trust me, this is the good stuff.

At the risk of “Spill fanning” this review, I admittedly did not like this record as much as I liked 2007’s Hospital Music. Good’s minimalist/quiet/introspective stuff is a lot more haunting, and this record may, in fact, have over-abused those goddamn shoegaze guitars. THAT SAID. If you like this at all, please go dig up Matthew Good Band’s breakthrough album Beautiful Midnight. I have it. Ask me for it. It made my high school nights very, very long.

I littered some stars in there, but the record is very, very even. Play anything clean.

try: 10, 5, 7, 9
FCC: 1

1. FCC (“fuck”) muffle piano. enthralling repeater riff, minor swirl. enormous chorus.
2. downtempo, easy. loose, polite hi-hat. uber-orchestral. big held-note chorus. vamps an accusatory “what are you thinking?”
3. starts with rain/howl effects. has a soft, calm vocal vibe. gets huge at the end.
4. slightly twangy guitar loop that would make the verve pipe proud. deliberate, held, somewhat uplifting chorus, despite the downer lyrics.
*5. slow headbang 3/4. kicks off with downtempo bright eyesy acoustic guitar. somewhat merciless down-and-down-and-down chorus. reminiscent of good’s “black helicopter”. a crusher.
6. kicks off quite like the icy minimalist stuff i love. vamps a you-heard-it-wrong “born to dive”. can cut at :47 to end.
*7. disturbing and beautiful song about war. minimal instrumentation to start. drums and electric in at 1:00. vamps “all ice on the outside”. damn.
8. blow-out bass. hard snare. punched-up laser effects. sounds like a very pissed off new order... until the in-character chorus.
*9. drip-drop bass. clear, upfront vocals. gets electric/loud. anthemic chorus. “we all live downtown”. ends on a great guitar vamp.
*10. beatless dark orchestral / forbidding piano intro that has “icecaps” written all over it. vocals in at 1:00, sharp drums and looping electric guitar in at 2:00. detours midway (a la the intro), but comes back to itself. pretty, tortured, huge sound. classic mgb. this song is 9 1/2 minutes long. can fade about :30 to end.