Never Said Goodbye is the second solo studio album by Welsh singer-songwriter Cerys Matthews. It was released on 21 August 2006 by Rough Trade Records. Matthews co-produced the album with Ben Elkins and Stuart Sikes.
| Never Said Goodbye | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 21 August 2006 | |||
| Length | 45:19 | |||
| Label | Rough Trade | |||
| Cerys Matthews chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Never Said Goodbye | ||||
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The album received generally positive reviews from music critics, who noted its folk influences and "expansive" sound compared with its predecessor, Cockahoop. Never Said Goodbye peaked at no. 1 on the UK Independent Albums chart.
Release and promotion
edit"Open Roads" was released as the album's lead single on 7 August 2006. The maxi single included covers of "Soul Love" by David Bowie and "Grace Cathedral Hill" by The Decemberists.[1] Ahead of the album's release, Matthews embarked on a UK tour which began on 27 July 2006 at Llangollen Town Hall and concluded with a headline slot at Cardiff Big Weekend festival on 6 August 2006.[2]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [3] |
| The Independent | [4] |
| The Skinny | [5] |
Sharon Mawer of AllMusic gave Never Said Goodbye a mixed review, noting its "pleasant folky numbers" though opining that various moments are "just too slow".[3] Simon Price of The Independent described the album as a more "confident affair" than Matthews' previous album Cockahoop, and "a polite, bijou piece of work which rewards your attention but never demands it."[4] Nicole Keiper of The Tennessean described Never Said Goodbye as a "far more pop-rocked up affair" than its predecessor.[6] Naomi West of The Daily Telegraph opined that the album is "huge [and] expansive of spirit and sound" featuring "songs backed with dense arrangements of pounding drums, eccentric backing vocals and squirling organs".[7] Jon Seller of The Skinny magazine described Never Said Goodbye as an "interesting if at times pedestrian album" featuring "easy-going beats, pleasant guitar and Matthews' trademark domineering vocals".[5]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Streets of New York" | Cerys Matthews | 4:37 |
| 2. | "A Bird in Hand" | Matthews | 3:32 |
| 3. | "Oxygen" | Matthews | 4:31 |
| 4. | "Open Roads" |
| 4:37 |
| 5. | "This Endless Rain" |
| 3:42 |
| 6. | "Blue Light Alarm" |
| 3:42 |
| 7. | "Morning Sunshine" |
| 2:31 |
| 8. | "Seed Song" |
| 5:05 |
| 9. | "What Kind of Man" | Matthews | 1:18 |
| 10. | "Ruby" | Matthews | 3:21 |
| 11. | "Elen" |
| 8:44 |
| Total length: | 45:19 | ||
Credits
editCredits adapted from the liner notes of Never Said Goodbye.[8]
Musicians
edit- Cerys Matthews - vocals, guitars
- Kevin Teel - guitars
- Gruff Rhys - acoustic guitar (track 11), vocals (tracks 3 & 11)
- Matt Martin - acoustic guitar (track 7), percussion (tracks 7 & 11)
- William Tyler - acoustic guitar (track 11)
- Mason Neely - drums (all tracks except 2, 10 & 11)
- Jeremy Lutito - drums (tracks 2 & 10)
- Brad Pemberton - drums (track 11)
- Byron House - bass (tracks 1-6, 8-9)
- Jeff Irwin - bass (tracks 7, 10, 11), euphonium (track 6)
- James Haggerty - bass (track 10)
- Ben Elkins - keyboards, backing vocals, programming
- Troy Johnson - additional piano (track 11)
- Eric Darken - percussion
- Todd Kemp - additional percussion (track 11)
- Janice Corder, Everett Drake, Ann McRary - backing vocals (tracks 2, 8 & 11)
- Sam Ashworth - backing vocals (track 4)
- Lloyd Barry, Vinnie Ciesieski - trumpets
- Roy Agee - trombone
- Jay Phillips - trombone (track 6)
Production
edit- Producers - Cerys Matthews, Stuart Sikes, Ben Elkins
- Engineers - Stuart Sikes, Jeremy Ferguson
- Arrangers - Ben Elkins, Cerys Matthews
- Mixer - Jeremy Ferguson
- Mastering - Andrew Mendelson
- A&R - Seth Riddle
Charts
edit| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums (OCC)[9] | 43 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[10] | 1 |
References
edit- ^ Open Roads (liner notes). Cerys Matthews. Rough Trade Records. 2006. RTRADSCD357.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Review: The Big Weekend". WalesOnline. 7 August 2006. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
- ^ a b Mawer, Sharon. "Never Said Goodbye – Cerys Matthews". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
- ^ a b Price, Simon (20 August 2006). "ABC Discs". The Independent. London, United Kingdom: Independent Digital News & Media Ltd. p. 94. Retrieved 8 June 2022 – via Newspapers.com. (subscription required)
- ^ a b Seller, Jon (14 August 2006). "Cerys Matthews - Never Said Goodbye". The Skinny. Archived from the original on 16 April 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
- ^ Keiper, Nicole (23 July 2006). "More Nashville Pop of Note". The Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. p. D9. Retrieved 14 June 2022 – via Newspapers.com. (subscription required)
- ^ West, Naomi (19 August 2006). "Cerys Matthews – Never Said Goodbye". The Daily Telegraph. London, United Kingdom. p. 144. Retrieved 14 June 2022 – via Newspapers.com. (subscription required)
- ^ Never Said Goodbye (liner notes). Cerys Matthews. Rough Trade Records. 2006. RTRADCD227.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 May 2022.