Originally Posted by
Cardlescardie:
“My little foray onto MF did bring home some of the criticisms people are making of Matt which, although I tend to dismiss the extreme way they are put, I have been thinking about and wondering whether they reflect a general view. I would like to discuss them in a "safe" environment, without the nastiness some posters on MF seem apt to express.
1) That Matt is a good vocalist (I'm afraid some people won't admit to more than good 
) but that his own songwriting isn't strong enough. They back this up by saying that his most successful songs have been those written by others, and that the best feedback from the tour has been for FT - again not his song.
Well, OF COURSE his winners single was very successful - that's what happens when you win XF. His own acoustic version is far superior - *gnashes teeth* hard to explain these things to closed ears. RFYL - so many reasons NOT to have done this, and here's another gem - it got in the way of Matt's own songs being released, pushed them down the pecking order, and now makes them look unsuccessful when the album had sold plenty before Starlight/Amazing were released. 
FT was always in Matt's portfolio before the show - but it's a shame that is somehow used against him.
Anyway, it's left me feeling slightly guilty of tweeting so much and asking for Uninvited. It's just it is the epitome of how I would love people to see Matt - a non soppy song that highlights his incredible vocals and has a bit of "rock goddery" chucked in. The way forward is to stick with his own material as much as possible, and *no pressure* but to write his own Uninvited.
2) That the mix of songs on Letters was cheesy and generic (could this be what the XF influences wanted?). Personally I think they were trying to go for a bit of a theme with their track choices on the album. He was clearly in a very romantically reflective mood last summer, having found personal happiness, and this was evident in the feel of many of the songs. Unfortunately, I think choosing Amazing as the last single might have reinforced this view (sorry 
), but it did seem to tie in with the Valentines theme of the EP. I think he will have moved on from this now - I think there's something a bit more ballsy in there.
3) That he's boring compared to his XF image, which was a bit more edgy, and he keeps saying than you too much.
Personally I hated all that cr*p written about him being a womaniser. He's a nice guy, humble and grateful, with just the right sprinkling of naughtiness. I'm not actually sure there's much to criticise about that, but there you go - some have managed to!
I suppose I'm asking whether people think there's any validity in these views, or whether he will simply never satisfy those pre-disposed against him?”
Hi Cardie, Great post!
Sorry but again I dont have time to do a long post . So I am just going to highlight the points that I would like to comment on,
For me Matts voice is intoxicating, but I can perfectly understand that it could be a bit "marmite", I think that there were people who REALLY GOT his voice from the very begining , as we all did, but a lot who just didnt.
I have to admit that it rather upset me , all through the tour, that it was FT that had the standing ovations , and was picked out as the stand out performance by almost every reviewer.
As beautiful as it is , It never has been what Matt is all about. Im quite sure that when he was appearing with 7S, he would never have dreamed of performing this as part of his set!
It harks back to the X factor, and for that reason I hope he stops doing this now.
As for RFYL being used as his breaking single...... AARGGG!!
It still infuriates me that the PTB threw such a spanner in the works with this, and I , For one , cant bear to see him perform it! Starlight was such an obvious choice! And as a few have said, would have been much more successful!
I think its fair to say that Matt is never going to sell singles well untill they are available in the physical, and can be picked up easily at the big supermarkets. I just dont think that a lot of Matts fans will be download people.
Cardie I completely agree with what you say about "Uninvited"!!
Im afraid that I do find most of the songs on "Letters" Cheesy and generic. I will also add old fashioned and "Mushy". Sorry but that is the way I feel.
I was bitterly disappointed with it, A huge amount of this was down to the overproduction, but, even the lyrics and construction of most of the tracks fall far short of the standards he set with 7S. IMO. And Darwyn, especially WYW , even with Matts Rarara vocals has a boldness and ... I dont know, Strength of character that I think is really lacking on Letters.
Im putting this down to the fact that Letters was an album that had to appeal to all his x factor fans. 80% of which knew nothing of his previous work, and that is why it consists mainly of rather old fashioned ballads, with just a bit of rock thrown in to keep the rest of us interested. The choice of Accoustic and/or X factor songs on an extra CD was all part of this "trying to please everyone" I really feel that a lot of MATT has been lost in the process.
I agree re third emboldened!
I feel very happy that the "Letters" era is over, and I really, really hope he does what he says he wants to do with album no2! He just needs to trust his own musical instincts !!!
So much for saying I didnt have time for a long post!
I don't think I've seen one person, fan, non-fan or critic alike who didn't prefer Starlight to RFYL. Oh, for what could have been.
