Listen Up & Win Big: Matthew Ryan
by Mayer Danzig in Acoustic, Contests, Downloads, Reviews, Streams
As good as last year’s electric Dear Lover was, this year’s acoustic companion is even better. The sparse arrangements showcase the tenderness and vulnerability of Ryan’s lyrics without losing any of the intensity.
The hushed whisper of “The World Is” illuminates the songs frailty, making Ryan’s quiet optimism that much more evocative. “The world is held together with lies and promises and broken hearts,” he sings accompanied by a somber cello and muted guitar, “and brand new days for you to start again.”
The acoustic “City Life” stands in stark contrast to the electric version. Whereas the latter captured the dissonance of city life, the former explores the loneliness and isolation that can also be part of the city experience.
“The End of a Ghost Story” and “Your Museum” shed their atmospheric arrangements for a more direct and confessional tone. Ryan’s insistent guitar on “Your Museum” has an encouraging quality as he sings, “The darkest parts are behind me now and soon the sun will rise.”
In many ways, a line from “The End of a Ghost Story” is a perfect reflection on the acoustic version of Dear Lover. “I’m going down where trouble drowns by the harbor and the sound, where the bright light of music’s found, back to what first brought me round.” All the better for us that we can share in Ryan’s acoustic interpretations of this rich collection of songs.
To celebrate this new release, we’re giving away a copy of the Dear Lover collection, featuring the electric AND acoustic versions. To win, post a comment with a favorite acoustic version of a song originally released with a full band arrangement. A winner will be selected at random when the contest ends on Friday, 25 June10 at midnight ET.**
Audio Download: Matthew Ryan, “Dear Lover (acoustic)”
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
**By participating in Twangville contests you agree to allow Twangville to post the winner’s name and city on our web site. We pass along the winning addresses to the artist or promotions company for fulfillment. Twangville will not use your address for any other reason. Contest open to US and Canadian residents.
About the author: Mild-mannered corporate executive by day, excitable Twangville denizen by night. 
