Matt Bruno - Punch & Beauty

Artist: Matt Bruno Title: Punch & Beauty Catalog#:Parasol-CD-055 Price: $7.50	Tracks on this CD:
	On Top Of The World
	Sooner Or Later
	Dancing
	So Unlikely (Did You Die Tonight?)
	I Wanna Be Beautiful
	I Can't Quit You Girl (Again!)
	Pin-Up Girl
	Simply Yours
	Let Me Really Love You
	That Someone
	Do You Love Me?
	Lover May I?
	That Someone (Alternate Mix)

Can a three-minute pop song contain the world? One thing is certain: three minutes is ample opportunity for Matt Bruno to wrap enough melody and harmony around the listener's ears to evoke a smile and a little devotion. Bruno feels a tremendous civic responsibility to keep the listener immersed in the melodies of said three-minute songs throughout the day, with hooks and verses-cum-hooks to live for. The Seattle based artist arrived at pop from all angles only after studying the cantus firmus (also known as the piano) for many a year with the hope of becoming a composer, though always with a Beach Boys, Beatles or Who song in the back of his mind to interrupt the piano studies of Debussy and Gershwin. At last, in happy matrimony with Parasol Records, Bruno aims to weld a collection of rhapsodies to your ears and have you survive to tell the tale to a friend.

Originally self-released, Punch & Beauty drew accolades from the pop community, and appeared on many Top 20 fan ballots when it was initially unveiled in 1999. For the re-issue Bruno recorded two new tracks-“On Top of the World, which leads off the album, and “I Wanna Be Beautiful”-to add to the original eleven. Though the aforementioned Beatles and Beach Boys are obvious influences, Amplifier writer Wendy Shea observed, "'Simply Yours,' a goosebump-raising jangle anthem, and 'Let Me Really Love You' sound like sophomore Wonders after they moved to California and spent the summer hanging with the Byrds." And, Robin Wills writing in Bucketfull of Brains about Bruno's performance at last year's IPO Festival in Los Angeles said, "Matt is a truly gifted songwriter, his best recorded stuff fits somewhere between Eric Carmen and Brian Wilson…"

Like his influences, Bruno uses a wide array of instrumentation, including strings, piano and glockenspiel, to complete his vision. In Amplifier Shea summed up Bruno’s attraction: “As a songwriter and composer Bruno shows he can do it all. With this musical retrospective as an end of the century debut, one can be assured that the future of pop will be in good hands.”

"Odd mix of ‘60s influenced indie pop and quirky jangly pop, as well as synth pop. Even though the production is a bit flat, the songs will be the fancy of the IPO set and lovers of ‘60s-influenced indie pop." -Yeah Yeah Yeah

"This re-issue of Matt Bruno’s self-released album includes new songs, for a grand total of thirteen tree-minute pop wonders, each so sweet and pretty it’s like a grocery-store-bakery cake-the kind with rainbows! And clouds! and clowns! ”Dancing” reaches extraordinary heights of confectionery glee-if its layers and layers of backing vocals don’t knock you into a sugar coma the groovy bass line will. Not all of the songs are more frosting than cake, although the maudlin “So Unlikely (Did you Die Tonight?)” is definitely syrupy-“Did you die Tonight, I’d die to know?”-and the Byrds-y “Simply Yours” sports lines seemingly stripped from a junior high notebook cover circa 1997-“I need you to be completely mine/ That would be so fine.” But mostly the songs ar cupcake, cupcake, cupcake! If you, like myself, enjoy your jangle pop with extra frosting (and you know Mark Bacino and Push Kings fans know what I’m talking about) then you’ll find Punch & Beauty utterly inhalable. Oops, look! You got some frosting on your nose! You’re so cute." -Faster Than Sheep

"A classically-trained pianist, Matt Bruno just couldn’t shake his deep founded love of ‘60s popsters The Who and The Beatles. So, a couple of years back, he quit the piano stool for a Rickenbacker, releasinga self financed debut album. Now under the guidance of Parasol and with two additional track, Punch And Beauty enjoys a major release; and his studious use of classical structures, his panchant for Brian Wilson-styled harmonies and his slow-hand jangle all get a look in. Each and every song is a three-minute symphony that would have flooded the charts back when we was fab. Bruno’s attention to sub-melodies, minor chords and the rolling reverb on his tremolo make this a truly upbeat , infectiously catchy set in the best frat rock tradition." Dave Henderson MOJO

"Though he’s kept a low profile locally, Seattle popsmith Matt Bruno has blipped on the national radar with his debut, Punch & Beauty (Parasol). Heavily influenced by the ‘70s sound of groups like the raspberries and Electric Light Orchestra, this singer-songwriter revels in the lushness of a synthesized string section and finds pleasure in the roundabout hook. His forays into the familiar terrain of the love song yield the occasional success (“Pin-Up-Girl”), but his real strength comes in training an eye on culture, as when he mocks the modeling profession in “I Wanna Be Beautiful.” Bruno emerges for a rare gig, and he’s a good bet for satisfying any true pop fan’s sweet tooth." -Richard A. Martin www.seattleweekly.com