Review: Matchbook Romance – Voices

After touring for nearly a year and a half on their debut LP, Stories and Alibis, Matchbook Romance buckled down in Long View Farm studios in Massachusetts to write the follow-up to their breakthrough onto the emo scene. Voices features a departure from the sound of their debut, and charted at #43 on the Billboard 200 upon its release on Valentine’s Day in 2006. Based on the strength of the lead single, “Monsters,” Matchbook Romance proved that they were capable of being much more than just your “stereotypical emo band.” Instead, Voices led the band down a darker path and expanded their audience along the way. The set was produced by John Goodmanson (Sleater-Kinney, Death Cab For Cutie) and the artwork was designed by Shawn Harris of The Matches. Voices is a record that I found immediately gripping and urgent, and I’m so glad that Matchbook Romance took this big risk on their sophomore effort.