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COCKAHOOP
(Sanctuary)
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As a member of Welsh chart toppers Catatonia, Cerys Matthews was as well known for her beautifully craggy voice as for her seemingly constant state of intoxication. Cerys was a British media star; she recorded duets with Tom Jones and shacked up with Joe Strummer’s bass player. Eventually, Catatonia disbanded and Matthews disappeared. But even when singing Catatonia hit singles like "Mulder and Scully," she harbored a love for Welsh hymns and folk songs, managing to include a Welsh-language track or two among Catatonia’s pop confections. That inspiration has blossomed and morphed on Cockahoop. Recorded in Nashville with a band of ringers including Bob Dylan producer Bucky Baxter, it’s an acoustic, country-tinged album particularly influenced, Matthews has stated, by The Basement Tapes and the 1969 The Band. Covering quirky faves, lesser-known songs, and a Welsh folk song, Matthews has never sounded more comfortable. Her two originals fit nicely with clever cover choices like the Handsome Family’s "Weightless Again" and Roger Cook’s "Chardonnay," but it’s the album’s flow and the overall feeling of joy that makes it such a refreshing listen. She may never be embraced by the No Depression crowd, but Cerys Matthews has found her own reason to sing again.
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