Review Summary: Nothing unique, but a warm and beautiful album well worth your time.
Album artwork is an interesting thing. Many claim that an album’s artwork has no relevance on the quality of its music, and they are probably correct. In the case of an unknown album, though, sometimes the cover can mean the difference between a listener giving a release a chance, or ignoring it. The bright, and frankly beautiful, album cover for No Matter, by a Virginia-based band called Arrowhead, was the primary reason for my downloading it during a recent exploration of Bandcamp.
The colorful and shimmering cover for No Matter was gorgeous, but would the music itself actually be worth my time? The answer is a surprisingly strong yes. Not only is the album’s quality generally high, but even better, it is truly reflective of the very pleasant artwork. In terms of genre, No Matter is a bit difficult to classify. It is certainly heavily folk-based, with a singer-songwriter vibe. That being said, the music as has an immersive “wall-of-sound” element which at times transcends those genres. Indie rock is clearly an influence as well. Most of the songs here are driven by either piano or acoustic guitar, but a variety of instruments are utilized at times, providing an element of diversity. For example, a trumpet appears during “I Was..” and a violin is present towards the ending of “Forgotten Names”.
The beginning of opener “Hands In The Sky” suggests classical music with its elegant single piano. The song ultimately moves onto produce a somewhat hymn-like atmosphere, with Sean Cunningham’s vocals soaring over a placid arrangement. Lyrically it is somewhat pedestrian, but given the music it still sounds great. This sets the stage for an album full of piano and guitar melodies, typically simple but pretty and engrossing. No Matter has its share of standout tracks. “Scattered Bones” and “Ghost” are both wonderful songs, more folk-oriented in a hazy way, while also being achingly melancholy. Meanwhile, the back-to-back duo of “Lost At Sea” and “Greeting Card” compete to be the album’s most beautiful song. The closing track, “All The Best” is a slow piano ballad which ends the album on an excellent note. Its crushing final line, “and I don’t love you”, is a fitting conclusion to an album which consistently masks dark thoughts and ideas behind appealing melodies.
As noted previously, the lyrical subject matter of most songs here is not overly complex, but it is frequently affecting and depressing. The endlessly-pleasant musical background, though, acts as a counterbalancing force and ultimately the listen is a comforting one. No Matter is not an album meant for critically analyzing the lyrics for hours, or for marveling at the technical abilities of the band members. Indeed, if either of those outcomes are what you are looking for, stay far away from this album. Despite these so-called “deficiencies” though, this album does its job of being emotionally satisfying. The pretty if uncomplicated sounds engulf the listener, and are an excellent accompaniment to relaxation or contemplation. Under these circumstances, singer Sean Cunningham’s repeated statement of the seemingly bland “I’ll be waiting for you” in the second half of “Left, Right” may sound like an epiphany, or at least something a little bit profound.
Ultimately, No Matter is one of those albums which, at the wrong time, might seem to be passably satisfying background music. If played at a fitting circumstance, though, it can be a gripping and meaningful experience. Ultimately, when this proper occasion is depends primarily on individual considerations, but No Matter conjures up images of sitting on a porch as darkness falls, or lying in bed just prior to falling asleep, really any time at which a listener might be deep in thought. The simple beauty and the heartfelt lyrics of Arrowhead’s solid album may hit hard at such a juncture. Anyway, it has a nice album cover, so why not give No Matter a listen?
