Buzz of Delight - Sound Castles ep...plus (1984)

Most die-hard Matthew Sweet fans may have heard of Buzz of Delight, just not their music. They’re missing out, but I’ll try to compensate with this post. B of D came on the heels of the the defunct Oh-Ok, a celebrated outfit from Athens, GA that Matthew Sweet was a not so illustrious member of. Around ’83 and ’84, Sweet and fellow Oh-Ok alumni, David Pierce formed the short lived, but quite phenomenal duo, Buzz of Delight. Their lone ep, Sound Castles, was produced by Don Dixon in 1984. Soon thereafter, Sweet pursued a solo career and was never heard from again. Ever.

With Buzz of Delight, Sweet married the breezy, ethereal pastiche of the “new romantic” strain of new-wave, to the skittish obscurity of the nuevo-southern pop contingent of the period: REM, Pylon, and Let’s Active, uber-producer Mitch Easter, yada yada. There’s a purity that wafts it’s way through Sound Castles, that Matthew Sweet would never replicate again, or for that matter, try to - and that’s what makes this all the more special.

Tacked on the ep is “I’ve Got Gold,” a cut from the Db Records compilation, Squares Blot Out the Sun, which may be uploaded in it’s entirety on this page at a later time, but as usual, I digress.

“Ask for Jill” credited to The Jacks, was from a one off session with Don Dixon and Chris Stamey. The song would later be recorded by Stamey’s legendary band, the dBs. Outtakes from the Sound Castles sessions can be found on Sweet’s To Understand – the Early Recordings of Matthew Sweet compilation.

Sound Castles
01. Southern
02. Miracle
03. In Summer
04. Happy Town
05. Christmas
06. And…

07. I’ve Got Gold (from Squares Blot Out the Sun compilation)
08. Ask for Jill (performed by The Jacks)

Hear