Matson Belle

Matson Belle

The cool synth tones of "All the Fine Gentlemen" rise and drift vaporlike on Goodbye Juggernaut, Matson Belle's first CD. At only eight songs, it's barely a full-length offering, yet the Middle Eastern electronica of "Shampoo on My Pillow" leaves no doubt of the band's intent to weld pop with a techno edge and classical flourish. Matson Belle is the brainchild of former L.A.-based singer-songwriter/actress Kayt Jourdanson. Her striking, modelesque appearance and creative dominance suggest Matson Belle is a vanity project – the credits note Diesel Clothing as a sponsor – but even one spin leaves lingering melodies and a sense of musical whimsy that mesh appealingly, especially on "Float" and the faint electronic ring on "Mother Tongue." Musically, Matson Belle is similar to Sixpence None the Richer's pop, though Jourdanson's fey vocals drive the songs down a more adventuresome boulevard ("The Last Yahoo," "Before I Go," "Drunk"). Jourdanson composed all eight songs and doesn't mind using songwriting as catharsis, detailed some in the title track, "Goodbye Juggernaut." Her lyrics bubble with young woman blues and dreams and shattered hearts, expressed with an urban panache that landed Matson Belle Best New Band in the 2003 Austin Music Awards and an offer by Gene Simmons to buy "Float." Goodbye Juggernaut's weakness is its brevity. Next round in the studio, Matson Belle needs more songs and/or a club mix or two, because their future pulses with electronic promise.