Big Inner

Matthew E. White

Big Inner

70s-rooted laid-back vintage soul, gospel and country funk sounds on the debut from the Virginia artist

ADM rating[?]

8.3

Label
Hometapes / Spacebomb
UK Release date
04/02/2013
US Release date
21/08/2012
  1. 10.0 |   The Guardian

    A genuinely great artist might have arrived almost out of the blue
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  2. 10.0 |   The Observer

    A great many minutely weighted musical things happen on Big Inner, in a very compressed auditory space
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  3. 10.0 |   Independent on Sunday

    A genuine classic
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  4. 9.0 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    The music on Big Inner is so wondrous that it seems entirely obvious that we’ll always find that peace, joy and contentment in music rather than anywhere else
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  5. 9.0 |   Blurt

    There were many musical spirits in the room when White and his Spacebomb band went to recording the seven farmhouse-soul spirituals found on Big Inner, but what ultimately renders this record truly special is the band's ability to synthesize all these elements into something that is uniquely their own
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  6. 9.0 |   Consequence Of Sound

    A brilliant debut, brimming with homages to pop music’s past, whether it be Motown or Randy Newman
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  7. 9.0 |   Uncut

    He's made one of the great albums of modern Americana
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  8. 9.0 |   musicOMH

    As albums go, Big Inner is pretty special. Overall, Matthew E White and his Spacebomb house band have created a brilliant debut
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  9. 8.1 |   Pitchfork

    White's gift on Big Inner is taking sounds created by actual southerners and turning them into figments of his musical imagination, which he bends and shapes into bottomless columns of ethereal soul
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  10. 8.0 |   The Skinny

    The kind of debut on which devotional followings are founded
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  11. 8.0 |   The Irish Times

    An album that will leave you swooning in its slipstream
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  12. 8.0 |   Q

    Heavenly psychedelic soul from a blessed Southern gent. Print edition only

  13. 8.0 |   The Independent

    White's own voice lacks the character to drive his songs, but Big Inner is a hugely impressive debut nonetheless
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  14. 8.0 |   Evening Standard

    This music is soulful and funky, but thanks to White’s gentle voice, entirely free of hollering
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  15. 8.0 |   NME

    A profoundly pleasing melange
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  16. 8.0 |   Mojo

    Stunning debut from hirsute US jazzer. Print edition only

  17. 7.9 |   Bowlegs

    This is a seriously fine debut that demands your attention – just don’t be expecting Matthew E. White to be shouting from the rooftops about it
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  18. 7.0 |   Rolling Stone

    It's sometimes silly but also undeniably soothing
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  19. 6.0 |   All Music

    White's arrangements (his string parts are pure, Sail Away-era Randy Newman) are so good, that it's tempting to write off the fact that his deadpan, pitchy delivery nearly sucks the life out of them
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  20. 6.0 |   State

    There are enough reminders of warmth and affection to please until we forget these bleak winter months.
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Matthew E. White: Big Inner

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