Boduf Songs
Biography
“Sweet remains an utterly distinctive artist, having developed an alchemical power to transform a minimal palette..”
Mat Sweet, aka Boduf Songs, has only been recording his rustic brand of neo-folk for a couple of years, but his distinctive sound has already garnered substantial attention and critical praise – a remarkable achievement considering the rash of talented Will Oldham- inspired singer-songwriters currently doing the rounds. The most obvious influence on Sweet's work is Oldham's early Palace work, but unlike artists such as Devendra Banhart or Joanna Newsom, his writing does not fit comfortably in the contemporary psych-folk canon, recalling instead the work of established British eccentrics like Ivor Cutlor, David Tibet and Robert Wyatt in his idiosyncratic lyrical style. His 2005 debut EP on Kranky received glowing reviews for its unique combination of delicate electronically-arranged instrumentation and soft-yet-menacing vocal delivery, with The Communion noting that Sweet's "folky songs augmented by ethereal noises and swirling drones... elevate this above your common or mock acoustic solo artist... absolutely devastating."
Having progressed considerably since these promising beginnings, Sweet is set to release How The Shadows Chase The Balance, his second full-length release through Kranky. What this album reveals is that Sweet remains an utterly distinctive artist, having developed an alchemical power to transform a minimal palette of common musical elements into something that is not simply psychedelia or folk.