Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
By: Travis Hay
"Convenience, the latest offering from local indie-popster Matthew Shaw, could easily draw a handful of comparisons to his emotion-pouring peers (hello, Conor). He draws upon the influence of Bright Eyes' emotive vocal stylings, Dntel's hooky electronics, and Dolour's pop sensibilities to create a likeable EP saturated with voice and vision.
Opening with "The Drunk," a quasi-downer of a song with an upbeat and peppy synth, Shaw bellows out, "This apartment’s lifeless. It’s walls reflect loneliness." Various beeps, boops and blips that come across as rejected 8-bit video game sounds accentuate most of Convenience’s songs. The synthesized noises aren’t painting videogame soundscapes in the happy and quirky Beck manner. Instead, these ardent noises portray raw emotions and feelings.
Shaw’s brutal honesty on "Quicksand," the EP’s third track, nearly catches listeners off guard as he declares "Today I figured out that I am the asshole that plagues your life," at the song’s opening. His lyrical vulnerability and the evident care he takes in craftsmanship of his songs make this an exceptional release and hopefully he’ll release an LP in the near future. Clocking in at a mere five songs and under 20 minutes in length and taken as a whole, Convenience does exactly what an EP is designed to do: It succinctly showcases Shaw’s songwriting strengths, leaving listeners longing for a follow-up full-length." - Three Imaginary Girls
"Following up his debut release, Matthew pushes his sound even further to show he's one of the most talented musicians in town. Not a bad song on here (Convenience)." - John Richards, Program Director & DJ @ KEXP 90.3FM - John Richards - KEXP
"Shining up the glean on indie pop, Matthew Shaw pops and weaves his way through masterful synth pop. His sound is so unbelievably versatile and his knack for writing hooks and glitch riddled electronica is uncanny. Vocally he’s raw and stripped down which complements the large breadth of the mix. Despite the fact that it’s a solo affair, “Convenience” is wrought with a big live band sound. Indeed he recruited Andrew J. Gard on drums on a couple of tracks and got Sabory Huddle to play cello on the opening number. Singer/songwriters this talented are few and far between; Matthew Shaw is not only a genius singer/songwriter, he’s liable to take the whole damn she-bang with him. The only disappointment is that this is a mere EP and twenty some minutes isn’t enough to satisfy your increasing hunger for indie pop this brilliant. Not owning this EP is a sin." - J-Sin @ Smother Magazine - Smother.net
"I can't really understand why people keep saying Matthew Shaw's fantastic record reminds them of Bright Eyes. Can't they hear how good it is? Both acts make inward-looking pop songs, but where Bright Eyes plays the emotions to the back of the theater, Shaw honors the subject matter by keeping his tone chill (instead of shrill)..." - Sean Nelson @ The Stranger - Sean Nelson - The Stranger
"Convenience is, on the whole, a great EP that I will be playing alongside Ghosts In the Concrete for a long time to come. His sound is comfortable- there’s no way you can hear it and not fall in love with it. That’s the mark of a great songwriter, and that’s the real reason you should buy this disc: you’ll love it. "- Stephen Carradini @ Independent Clauses
- Independent Clauses
Discography
Ghosts in the Concrete 2004 LP (Burning Building Recordings)
Convenience 2005 EP (Burning Building Recordings)
"The Drunk" and "Deadlines and Days Off" are the most commonly played tracks from "Convenience." Both have received airplay on KNDD's (1077 The End) NW music show, and received regular rotation at KEXP 90.3.
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Since his days growing up in California, Matthew Shaw has shed the bright southwestern sunshine and fully embraced the grey of his current landscape, Seattle, Washington. Following the success of his 2004 full length "Ghosts in the Concrete," Shaw unveils his brand new EP "Convenience" finding influence and comparison from artists such as John Vanderslice, Headphones (Pedro the Lion's David Bazan), and even stretching to Jawbreaker and Statistics.
Continuing the bittersweet indie pop of "Ghosts in the Concrete," "Convenience" also shows Matthew Shaw expanding his sound to include live drums, strings, and even darker synth, at times giving the record more of an organic, full band feel. Not satisfied with producing one consistent sound, and inspired by his time spent on stage supporting "Ghosts," Shaw has pushed himself to take steps outside his comfort zone. Creating and evolving, "Convenience" was given a fresh sound while Matthew explored the monotony of relationships and lost love.
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