Although this occasion -- the release of seven songs more than seven years after his last full release -- may not constitute a full triumph for followers of
Eric Matthews, they can console themselves with the fact that the singular singer/arranger has changed very little in the interim. The mini-LP
Six Kinds of Passion Looking for an Exit is a deeply confessional record, both in theme and in content. He downplays both the use of brass and emphatic arrangements from his first two records, relying largely on acoustic guitar and breathy double-tracked vocals to create an atmosphere of studied tranquility. The opener, "Worthy," and closer, "Black to Light Brown," are the only two songs featuring outside involvement, and also the only ones to evoke the baroque splendor of "Fanfare," his most popular song. Elsewhere
Matthews makes a direct, oddly conversational apology to former collaborator
Richard Davies on "Cardinal Is More." Like the return of
Jason Falkner, another of his former companions, for the EP
Bliss Descending,
Eric Matthews' third record is a very muted return to past glories. ~ John Bush