Matador is the second solo album by English musician Gaz Coombes. Recorded at Coombes' home studio and Courtyard Studios in Oxfordshire, it was released on 26 January 2015 on his record label Hot Fruit Recordings via Caroline International. Coombes himself produced the album and it features appearances by Ride drummer Loz Colbert, Charly Coombes, and guitarist Nick Fowler.[1] The album charted #18 on the UK Albums Chart.[2] It was nominated for the 2015 Mercury Music Prize.[3]
| Matador | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 26 January 2015 | |||
| Recorded | Courtyard Studios, Oxfordshire | |||
| Genre | Indie rock Indie pop | |||
| Length | 39:58 | |||
| Label | Hot Fruit Recordings/Caroline International | |||
| Producer | Gaz Coombes | |||
| Gaz Coombes chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Matador | ||||
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Critical reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| musicOMH |  [5] |
| Mojo | [6] |
| Q | |
| Clash |   [7] |
| The Guardian | [8] |
| Pitchfork Media | 6.3/10[9] |
Matador has received critical acclaim from music critics. musicOMH's Ben Hogwood called the music and the songs "a step forward" and said the album reveals Coombes' "darker, more experimental side".[5] Mojo's Pat Gilbert called its atmosphere "dreamy, hypnagogic" and gave the album a full 5 star rating.[6] Pitchfork's review praised some of the songs but was more critical, stating that in this album Coombes "plays it safe" and that he "comes at these songs with a less-is-more attitude, but even the simplest fare fails to connect".[9]
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Buffalo" | 3:21 |
| 2. | "20/20" | 4:15 |
| 3. | "The English Ruse" | 4:43 |
| 4. | "The Girl Who Fell to Earth" | 3:35 |
| 5. | "Detroit" | 5:41 |
| 6. | "Needle's Eye" | 4:04 |
| 7. | "Seven Walls" | 3:49 |
| 8. | "Oscillate" | 3:12 |
| 9. | "To the Wire" | 4:06 |
| 10. | "Is It On?" | 0:34 |
| 11. | "Matador" | 1:25 |
| Total length: | 39:58 | |
References edit
- ^ "Mercury shortlist success | Oxford University Faculty of Music". Music.ox.ac.uk. 13 November 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
- ^ "MATADOR #18 in the UK Album Top 40 Chart - Gaz Coombes". 1 February 2015.
- ^ "Mercury Prize 2015 shortlist". BBC. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
- ^ "Matador - Gaz Coombes - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic.
- ^ a b "Gaz Coombes - Matador - Albums - musicOMH". 21 January 2015.
- ^ a b "Gaz Coombes – Matador — Mojo". Mojo4music.com. 26 January 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
- ^ "Gaz Coombes - Matador". 8 January 2015.
- ^ Dennis, Jon (22 January 2015). "Gaz Coombes: Matador review". The Guardian.
- ^ a b "Gaz Coombes: Matador Album Review - Pitchfork". pitchfork.com.