This came out in 1999 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Matthew Sweet’s recent album In Reverse was a bit of a dud. Here’s the album he should have made.
Actually, in a way he did — the power popster produced, co-wrote some songs, and lent his guitar and voice to this fourth CD from this indie-rock duo. It’s a perfect fit; they’ve all obviously spent way too much time poring over British Invasion singles and Big Star albums, soaking up every Byrdsy guitar lick and gorgeously layered harmony. Unlike Sweet, however, Velvet Crushers Rick Menck and Paul Chastain unplug the fuzztone pedal, preferring to let their spot-on vocals and sunshiney melodies take centre stage. Otherwise, Free Expression sounds like the best Matthew Sweet album you’ve never heard.
