Scott Matthew - Gallantry's Favorite Son Review

Scott Matthew could be reduced to an Antony pretender in Bowie's clothing, but that would be a tragic misrepresentation of just how good this singer/songwriter is. With Gallantry's Favorite Son, he walks a perfect line between the mainstream Pop of an age gone by and the transcendent

Scott Matthew - Gallantry's Favorite Son (2011) – 8.2 / 10.0

Release Date: March 6, 2011
Running Time: 42:22
Label: Zoom/Glitterhouse Records
Genre: Chamber Pop, Alternative Singer/Songwriter
Drug of Choice: Opiates, Cognac
Key Tracks:
"Black Bird"
"Devil's Only Child"
"No Place Called Hell"

 Queensland, Australia's Scott Mathew has been around for awhile, mysteriously hiding within the margins since 2005. Yet somehow, he is probably best known for vocal contributions to the anime shows Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell. His work has been compared to David Bowie delivering songs by Antony. While that comparison is fairly accurate, I think it underestimates his abilities as a songwriter. Matthew's work is reminiscent of 60s and 70s-era Pop songwriters like Burt Bacharach, David Ackles, and Paul Williams. But while his style is reminiscent of those artists, he doesn't appear to be beholden to them, freely selecting influences that serve each particular song best; humor from Williams here, balladry from Bacharach there, and dark simplicity from Ackles spiced throughout. Altogether, his approach brings fresh life to a genre long since given its death certificate.

I mention Mathew's lack of fame (in America, at least) as quizzical, because I think his work on Gallantry's Favorite Son is all-around more accessible than anything Antony has ever released. This is where I wish Bowie had gone in the 90s. This album displays Matthew's depth as a songwriter. The wonderful ballad "Black Bird" opens the record, but is just the beginning of a journey that I'm all too willing to take over and over again. This record is wonderful without ever taking itself too seriously, capitulating in the closing track "No Place Called Hell". The jaunty, dark humor of this track is exactly what I need to hear from Matthew to keep him from entering the pretentious or cheesy. To me, this is what Destroyer was trying to do on Kaputt, but executed more successfully. Scott Mathew may not have a legion of loyal Indie fans stateside yet, but if <i>Gallantry's Favorite Son</i> is any indication of what is coming in the future, that will only take a matter of time. For the time being, he's made at least one convert. I like this. I like it a lot.





Download: Scott Matthew - Gallantry's Favorite Son