- Label: 'Think Like A Key Music'
- Genre: 'Indie'
- Release Date: '28.2.25.'- Catalogue No: 'TLAK1195'
Our Rating:
This is the 10th Anniversary re-issue for Ward White's I Am The Matador album and is the first time it's been available on CD. Ward recorded the album with help from Graham Norwood, Everet Almond, Bryan Scary, Eddie Zweiback, Claudia Chopek, Joe McGinty, Clara Kennedy and Bryan Smith. The album was produced by Bryan Scary and Graham Norwood at Westcott Music Brooklyn.
The album opens with the heavy bass led Sabbath the lyrics are much lighter than the music, with Ward singing about the children and how they are directed, as well as lots of other stuff that's in front of Ward's face, the drums build and the intensity rises.
Tumble feels more proggy with searing guitar runs, pauses and builds with Ward's high vocals taking us into the dream state where the world is no longer a tumble around him.
Alphabet Of Pain is a family saga chamber pop tale for those that received the paddle and other distressing things wrapped within a calm exterior, Ward tries to offer protection while knowing it's beyond him, the strings beg forgiveness for everything those Venetians go through.
Balloon slowly floats across your speakers, gently played, this is far safer than John Murry's Little Red Balloons and has far less Nuclear war angst than Nena's 99 Luft Balloons this will brighten up the light of day with a dream like state.
Bikini may be worn by someone with a vacant stare, you wonder who is the Matador, a claim you reinforce within the strings you use to convince the Bikini clad one to spend time with you and take you on a journey to outer space via shimmering guitars flanged to maximum speed.
Chiquita is the one you want to dance with, the piano drives this on just as Chiquita laughs at you, another line falling flat in its face, the guitars try to make up for the distress you feel at her rejection.
Dia Luna is slow sparse memories of a relationship that is now in the past, Ward wishes that wasn't so, he tries to remember every detail about the time you spent together.
Drive Thru ups the pace a little, adds in some very 70's lush harmonics and harmonics and makes finding the answers all the more difficult to draw out.
I'll Make It Up To You has betrayal at its heart, with a twist or three musically and lyrically, the keyboards add some nice middle of the road twists to all the apologies being given in the hope of reconciliation.
Rash has started to resemble a noose around his neck, whatever caused it you may find out in this slowly evolving song with supple bass and sparse percussive energy.
Reprieve is mired in violence and road rage, police indifference, despair at the beating you had to receive, the music is dark but moves into bucolic pastures, Ward suggests closing your eyes will be enough to not feel all the pain while he's been trying it on with another woman whose man is rather possessive.
Dolores On The Dotted Line is hiding out in Montreal, Ward wants her back but is that likely after what went down, well maybe he needs her in his bed again, the music isn't seductive, but more reductive and hopeful.
Salvaged Rose is acoustic almost a demo recording of another song of the pain of love not quite going to plan.
The album closes with the immense twenty-minute epic The Olde Days that has repeating vocal phrase for this long slow walk, through the late night new York streets, this has a jazz punk feel, like it should be on Giorno Poetry Systems, for one of those nights when your still out when the sun comes up and things are still not over.
He is watching the early morning workers at the start of a new day, while he is still living the day before. He then spies two hot young girls, he wants the moment he sees them, then things go more adventurous as the dance begins between them. This needs to be heard to get just what a wonderfully fraught tale this is, of The Matador and what happens between the three of them that early morning.
Find out more at https://lnk.to/matador10th https://www.thinklikeakey.com/release/475172-ward-white-ward-white-is-the-matador-10th-anniversary-edition https://wardwhite.bandcamp.com/album/ward-white-is-the-matador https://www.facebook.com/ward.white.7
