Boduf Songs is a rather gloomy chum, no? Well, it’s not that you would or should expect anything else from one of the few artists keeping the slowcore aesthetic of Bedhead and Low alive in the time of cholera and chillwave. More importantly than the color of Mathew Sweet’s (that’s one ‘t’) mood ring is the moments of truly arresting, visceral dark melodicism found within his latest, This Alone Above All Else in Spite of Everything.

Sparsely arranged toy pianos, light and balmy electronic noise samples, and gigantic sonic space are the cornerstones, for the most part, of This Alone, with some notable exceptions. Heavy, trip-hop-evocative percussion and a light dose of caffeine make their way onto “We Get on Slowly,” the most accessible and crafty song on the record. The switch from acoustic guitar to a flawlessly clean electric getup, leading to a smooth and beautiful crescendo, on”I Am Going Away and Never Coming Back” is one of the most demonstrative examples of Boduf trying on new hats.

While This Alone packs some truly engaging songwriting, its strongest moments come when we see Sweet branch out from his previous repertoire. The unrelenting bible black bleakness throughout the majority of its run time can get a little taxing by the end, but Boduf Songs have always demanded a certain time and mood be present to understand the music intimately. It’s clear that the cracks in Sweet’s calm yet haunting, almost baritone vocals are not simply affectation. While I would not recommend listening to this after a night of heavy drinking or an emotionally straining circumstance, Boduf Songs is the master of subtle yet majestic dark moods, perfect for late rainy nights and winter solitude.

This Alone Above All Else in Spite of Everything is available now from Kranky.

Fagen Becker Quality Rating

MP3 :::
Boduf Songs – We Get On Slowly