Matthew Sweet

Matthew Sweet

Girlfriend (Volcano/Legacy)

The problem with writing a powerhouse anthem is following it. When Matthew Sweet unleashed "Girlfriend" in 1991, it became an instant classic, electrified by Bob Quine's exquisite lead. Then came Goodfriend, a promo-only release that was essentially an acoustic version of Girlfriend with live tracks featuring Neil Young's "Cortez the Killer" (with the Indigo Girls), John Lennon's "Isolation," and Sweet's own "Someone to Pull the Trigger." Combining the two albums was inspired (as was its beauteous Tuesday Weld cover), but with Goodfriend heavily bootlegged and available on eBay, only the remastering and demos distinguish this beautifully packaged deluxe edition. With four versions of "Girlfriend" included – electric, demo, and two live – the appeal is nostalgic. Its vibrancy is emblematic of the fresh sound of early-Nineties alt-rock and its promise of better days ahead. That promise was only partially kept, even by Sweet, whose subsequent recordings still don't match "Girlfriend" for sheer exuberance. The 31 tracks fall between top-notch power-pop ("Divine Intervention," "Does She Talk," "I've Been Waiting"), and this side of maudlin ("You Don't Love Me," "Winona"), mostly built on love, love, love. Nothing wrong there: We're all adolescents yearning for the heart punch. Still, Sweet hit the jackpot big-time once with "Girlfriend," and if you can't always get what you want, it was just what we needed.