Review: Matthew Parmenter - Astray (2004)

With most albums, I connect mostly with the music, the sounds the emanate from the speakers/headphones, the ambiance, the tones and noise, the melody and texture and occasionally the voice of the singer.

But with some albums I connect with the lyrics.

Not that I don't like to sing along with songs that I don't identify with, or are plain silly, but those don't create an emotional bond, an unbreakable link between what is sung and how it impacts me.

But with some albums, that lyrics come across the musical plains and grab me.

One such album is this one by the highly talented Matthew Parmenter, whose two solo albums I discovered through his band, Discipline, which in turn, their album, Unfolded Like Staircase is one of my favourite albums.

Astray is not as ambitious sounding or complex as Discipline's music, but it is as captivating and beautiful. And I find Matthew's voice magnificent and haunting.
After the jump is the review of Matthew's 2004 solo release Astray.