Girasole Album Review
This is an incredibly humbling review of my record written by Patience Boston, a true fan of my music and wonderfully talented artist who ironically designed my Girasole/Caffeine t-shirt. Give this a read!
"Girasole” is another incredible album by Matt Cook. I knew this would be the best one yet when I heard the ethereal piano at the beginning of “Ship in a Harbor.” The song is constructed beautifully, comprised of thoughtful lyrics set to a driving rhythm and, as always, a catchy melody. The production quality on this album matches Cook’s talent. My favorite song on the album follows, “Caffeine”, which really captures the immense amount of time and work put into this album. Cook’s wonderful voice is paired so well with harmonies, great drums, and such a fun bass line. I have always appreciated his ability to tell stories through his songs without sounding repetitive or cliche. I love the build of each part of “Caffeine”, which attests to the flow of the entire album as a whole. I have listened to Girasole an uncountable amount of times since its release. While most albums are best heard in the order that they are constructed, Girasole has the unique ability to be listened to in and out of order. I love to hit shuffle and just hear how it evolves. Another favorite of mine is “Coward,” whichis a straight duet full of just really beautiful harmonies sung by Cook and 17 year-old Jordan Gilbert. The song “Erasers” is quite a masterpiece, in that it is an emotionally charged, and to-be-honest tearjerker, about the what ifs and what could have been in life. Relatable as a break-up song or just a way to connect with your emotions, the song itself is tragically beautiful and worth listening to. In all, I am confident that this is not only Cook’s best album yet production wise, but also really holistically beautiful in every sense of the word. It is very rare that one album can be so versatile, as I listen when I am driving in the rain, doing work, and having friends over. The dynamic musicianship met with compelling, beautifully constructed lyrics makes this my favorite album to date. It is a really wonderful accomplishment by Matt Cook and as always, I am looking forward to whatever comes next, as I know he will only continue to make incredible music!
-Patience Boston (April 2018)