Matthew Ryan Hopes To Shake Off Comparisons With ‘East Autumn Grin’

With lyrics like "Everytime you cough up a noose/I hear a symphony" and "Some hearts get numb 'til they become frozen hopeless," Matthew Ryan's latest CD, "East Autumn Grin," is the quintessential break-up album. "That's what it's based on," he said quietly.

Ryan, a Nashville resident, isn't one to spill his guts about the inspiration behind his songs. The lyrics, however, are forthright and honest, something that Ryan has found turns off many listeners.

"There's a certain arm's length that's become part of our identity culturally. A lot of our art and music, art as a whole, reflects that. There are people that understand that artists do intend on actually being felt," he said.

"I know that sounds dramatic. Some audiences aren't prepared for that. ... That seems to be a symptom of the culture with everything from ATM machines to paying at the pump--avoid eye contact at all costs."

Regardless, Ryan is heading out on a tour to promote "East Autumn Grin" (A&M). Following in the footsteps of his 1997 debut effort, "May Day," Ryan is collecting comparisons to the working-class ethic of Bruce Springsteen and the gruff vocal stylings of former Replacements' singer Paul Westerberg. Although flattering, Ryan said that it can be a blessing and a curse.

"I go back and forth about it," he said about the comparisons. "I grew up in the northeast, 40 miles from where Springsteen came up. He was an icon around there, long before he broke in the entire country. As far as the Replacements, those were, like, my first records that I bought on my own. Springsteen was more like my mom's records."

"I do admire what Springsteen has done, his perseverance and resilience and endurance. ... But it's (the comparison) a double-edged sword. On one hand, it's flattering. On the other hand, it's not always intended to be flattering. I have no ambition to be Paul Westerberg B or Bruce Springsteen F or G. You just hope you get the opportunity to keep making records and people start to accept you on your own terms."

Being accepted on his "own terms" is something that is important to Ryan. He said it makes him suspicious when reporters ask about the fellow musicians who appear on his records, in this case former Concrete Blonde singer Johnette Napolitano and Soul Asylum frontman Dave Pirner. He doesn't want anyone to think that the collaborations were some sort of ploy to sell a few extra hundred records.

On "East Autumn Grin," it was just a case of friends helping friends.
While in New Orleans, Ryan opened for Soul Asylum at that city's House of Blues. The collaboration on "Ballad of a Limping Man," on which Pirner plays trumpet, was a natural one, he said.

Napolitano, a big fan of New Orleans, came down with Ryan just to hang out. She ended up lending her vocals to the songs "Sunk" and "The World Is On Fire."

"Whenever she felt like coming down to sing, or whenever I wanted her to come down and sing, she was there. She's a fantastic artist in a lot of different avenues," Ryan said.

Including writing great break-up tunes. While in high school, Ryan was handed a "break- up tape" by a girl that he had been dating. Soon, he may find his own tunes on a similar tape.

"This was her parting shot. I remember very vividly (which songs were on the tape). This one I could never figure out, but there was an XTC song on there called '(The Ballad of) Peter Pumpkinhead,' which I took as a personal insult. Concrete Blonde's 'Joey' and 'Tomorrow, Wendy' off the 'Bloodletting' album (were on there too). After I knew Johnette for awhile, I told her and she just shook her head and said something about women."