Racm Records
2003
Kimi Ga Suki - Raifu
About This Album
Being "Big in Japan" has been a pop music in-joke for years, but few artists have paid as direct a tribute to the country as Matthew Sweet does with his 2003 album, Kimi Ga Suki * Raifu. Released only in Japan, the album is, as Sweet puts in his brief liner notes, dedicated "in gratitude for the many years of love and support you've sent my way." This is no collection of leftovers and B-sides: it is a collection of 12 brand-new songs, written and recorded specifically for this album, with all composition and tracking occurring over one week in January 2002. This makes it unusual in several different ways. First, few artists record an album intended for a specific territory, especially an artist with a cult following as large as Sweet's. Second, Sweet's last two albums -- 1997's Blue Sky on Mars and 1999's In Reverse -- were both overthought (the first to its detriment, the second to its benefit), so it's good to hear him throw out the demoing stage and cut it while it's hot. Third, this record is an unofficial reunion of the Girlfriend-era lineup, featuring Velvet Crush drummer Ric Menck, guitarist Richard Lloyd, and guitarist Greg Leisz, which is something Sweet fans have been waiting nearly a decade to hear.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and 9)

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