Matthew Sweet has announced his new album, Catspaw, will be set for release on January 15, 2021 via Omnivore Recordings. Along with the album announcement, Sweet shared the first single, “At a Loss.” The album will come as Sweet’s first “truly solo” recording.

“For me, being an artist is ultimately a solitary thing,” Sweet said. “I’ve taken comfort in that as I’ve grown older. Success and people come and go in life, but I know I will always be making music and that it continues to be fun and intriguing – that mystery of discovering what a song is going to become.”

Sweet plays virtually every instrument on Catspaw, and is only accompanied by Ric Menck on drums. He also recorded the lead guitar himself, rather than being joined by his friends, such as Richard Lloyd, Robert Quine and Ivan Julian. Sweet’s guitar playing incorporates high electric tones to accompany his singing, the playing acting as a tool to highlight key moments in Sweet’s lyrics.

The instrumentals of the track provide an upbeat tone as Sweet describes confused feelings in a relationship as he is unsure of the best way to go about talking to someone. “I don’t know what I’m going to say until then/I’m at a loss,” he says. He describes being unable to speak, pining after someone but lacking the confidence to approach.

Catspaw follows Sweet’s 2018 album, Tomorrow’s Daughter. In 2017, Sweet had released the album Tomorrow Forever. The singer had gotten his start in Athens, Georgia, back in the 1990s. His breakthrough album, Girlfriend, had been released in 1991, and featured the title track “Girlfriend.”

Catspaw track list:

1. “Blown Away”
2. “Give A Little”
3. “Challenge The Gods”
4. “Come Home”
5. “Drifting”
6. “Best Of Me”
7. “Stars Explode”
8. “Hold On Tight”
9. “At a Loss”
10. “No Surprise”
11. “Coming Soon”
12. “Parade Of Lights”