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Album Details

• Artist: Saltillo
• Album: Ganglion
• Label: Hive
• Year of Release: 2006
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: patchen on 2006-07-19

Saltillo is a new project by Menton J. Matthews, formerly of Sunday Munich. Ganglion took five years to complete. Matthews does it all here, playing guitar, piano, cello, banjo, violin and conjuring electronic effects. What is produced by all this solo virtuosity is a record at once deeply sad, but hopeful. It is hard to use cello of violin and sound optimistic, but Matthews uses them to such beautiful droning effect that they do not so much take over any track on which they are used, but drive the melody toward a greater depth. You cannot dance to this, but you can have a brew and remember what you are here for: to feel it when you feel it bad, and to wait for tomorrow to bring good news. Every song embraces sadness and hope in one swipe, but the standouts for me are "Remember Me?", "Grafting", and "Backyard Pond." Profound is a dangerous, often stupid word to use when describing a pop record; it fits for Ganglion, and it is amazing that it does so well for a debut.

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