Nearly thirty years back Matthew Sweet formed the short-lived Commuity Trolls with REM’s Michael Stipe. Two decades ago his third album, Girlfriend, set a rarely bettered benchmark for jangly guitar power-pop craftsmanship.
Sweet’s striven in its shadow since, to slowly diminishing returns, like some latter-day Brian Wilson, pursuing phantom pop perfection in a sandpit full of slowly dissolving sugar.
But Modern Art ditches the euphoria for a marked mood change, its tumbling twelve string cascades, baroque piano parts, and summer romance harmonies in uncharacteristically melancholic mode, as Sweet quietly unshackles himself from the chains of expectation.
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Len Firewood, Twitter
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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John Robins, Comedian
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Tres Ryan, Twitter