aaamusic | On 13, Mar 2011

Syd Matters are a group that have interested me for a while now and new single “River Sister” made me remember exactly why they cause such excitement in a difficult industry. The latest single taken from “Brotherocean” is nothing short of breath taking. It starts understatedly enough with deft fingerpicked acoustics backing an incredibly pure vocal; however, the sheer poetic quality of the lyric here is undeniable. There are those who believe that social commentary is a form of poetry, for those I point in you in the direction of Syd Matters who paint such glorious landscapes in their music that it puts others to shame. Take the recurring trope, “It’s not the sound of the waves I miss, it’s the shape of it.” Later in the track, digital aspects are introduced to an otherwise fairly innocuous instrumental that gives the song just the kick it needs to reach its finale.

B Side “Because Music” could have been made by a completely different band and the pondering steps down a tone here. Instead, this is a jaunty little number that never goes so far as to leave the band’s aesthetic and yet at the same time shows the fundamental adaptive nature of the quintet. All in all this is a wonderful package that your music collection is a little worse for not having; buy it!

Author: Josie Payne