Song #53: Matthew Barber - Put Me Back Together (So Delicately) (off Means + Ends - 2002)
There’s a meme going around on Facebook called “Fifteen Albums in Fifteen Minutes.” A user is tagged, opens a note and has fifteen minutes to come up with fifteen albums that will always stick with her.
Considering my last post was about Alanis Morissette and Jagged Little Pill, which is for sure an album that makes my fifteen, I am going to dedicate some posts to those unforgettable albums. Of course, I’ve already featured songs off of a few of them:
- Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill
- Suzanne Vega - Suzanne Vega
- Marie-Mai - Dangereuse Attraction
- Plumtree - Predicts The Future
I’ve also featured several songs by artists on the list, though from different albums. Those, though, I feel deserve second posts.
Today’s post is technically 5/15, then. He’s the first indie musician I feel that I discovered before most people (which was a long and slippery slope). He’s the only man I would EVER describe as being “dreamy” (see here, here and here for evidence) and he wrote the one song I include on every mixed CD I’ve ever made. Matt Barber is also at least partially responsible for my friendship with my best dude (whom I met at a show almost two years ago).
This song is probably the best one he’s ever written. That’s definitely saying something, because the dude writes some damn good folk-pop. It also is a bit of a shame, because this song is on his debut (which not a lot of his fans know well) and because it has a horn section (so he never performs it live DESPITE my constant demanding). I even used to know a sleight-of-hand artist who was going to do a routine to this song. I hope he still will do it - it sounded awesome.
The whole Means and Ends album is pretty amazing. I saw Matthew Barber performing at Tastes of the Danforth in 2003. I wasn’t expecting much from a free city-sponsored festival… I was with a now-former friend of mine, Alysha, and we ran around eating souvlaki and corn. I heard the dulcet tones of a Tall Young Man With Acoustic Guitar (a species to which I am very drawn) and Alysha and I were completely in love by the end of his set.
Since that day 7+ years ago, I have faithfully followed his career. He’s one of the few musicians whom I’ve seen 10+ times who can still get me psyched for a show. Means and Ends started me down the road as a follower of Entire Careers, and to this day Put Me Back Together (So Delicately) is one of my favourite songs ever.
P.S. This picture of Matt Barber features rare High School, Glasses-Free Allegra!
