About this item

The second full length release from this UK resident follows his "Lion Devours The Sun" album from late 2006 on Kranky. A lot of artists are described as 'outsiders' or 'underground', but with Mathew Sweet this is actually an apt description as he belongs to no 'scene' and is working on the farthest fringes of the 'music business'. On his second full length release, "How The Shadows Chase The Balance", Mathew Sweet uses the same formula that he has employed previously; one microphone, one acoustic guitar, a few random instruments, a couple of field recordings, and a deft, understated touch with the mixing process. He locked himself away in his home studio (to be honest, his bedroom) and no one else heard a single note until he was finished. Musically the album is akin to Iron & Wine / M Ward with the themes of death, alienation, fear, hatred and isolation that are his forte, as well as his affinity for gothic imagery. If you listen closely you can hear small bits of rain hitting the window, and cars sliding by on wet roads. The final result is one of the most unassuming, and engaging recordings of the year. It is intimate, extremely personal, and spectral in presence.