Brief, exhilarating songs about love… of course; Pop is founded upon such foundations, but in Matthew Adam Hart’s gifted hands our wonder and gleeful idiocy is laid out in rare, brilliant detail. Critics and the public alike have recognized in Hart one of the most impressive compositional minds to emerge in years. He is a talent simultaneously modest but mighty, plainspoken but rigorously intelligent, creating miniature electronic epics that sound as if they were spun from gold.
The Weight’s On The Wheels is a mighty accomplishment long-coming for Matthew Hart: The Russian Futurists have left the “bedroom-pop sound” genre they helped define and made an ambitious studio-produced monster pop record loaded with low end, depth, volume, and Hart’s heart-breaking voice atop the mountain of sounds. Produced by Hart with the aid of Michael Musmanno (Outkast, Lilys, Arrested Development), the fourth studio album exposes a polished pop finish that Russian Futurists fans have been begging for. The Weight’s On The Wheels will cast a wider net on fans to be captured by the Futurists pop regalia. Tracks like “Horseshoe Fortune” and “Register My Firearms? No Way!” reveal Hart’s trademark ability to turn a phrase with heart-wrenching lyrics that evoke cinematic imagery, and “One Night, One Kiss”, a sugary duet with Heavy Blinkers crooner Ruth Minnikin now peels away the reverb and synths that used to envelop him, revealing a soulful Hart across crystal clear soundscapes. The bad-ass slammer “100 Shopping Days ‘Til Christmas” both begs an advertising bidding war with it’s chorus “100 Shopping Days ‘Til Christmas and you’re the one thing on my wish list” and shows off Hart’s love for hip hop with the skill and complexity of his lyrical flow. “Hoeing Weeds Sowing Seeds”, mixed by Grammy Award Winner Michael Brauer (Coldplay, John Mayer, The Bravery) and the lead single, is a celebration explosion, a thumping and glorious beat with classic Matthew Hart triumphant vocals rising atop the electronic paradise. The album, ten tracks in total, is front to end the best songs we’ve yet heard by Matthew Adam Hart and a new exciting day has dawned for one of the greatest song writers Canada has produced.
The Russian Futurists have three internationally acclaimed releases under their belt, and in 2007 Me, Myself and Rye was released; the amalgam of The Futurists’ hottest songs assembled from their three previous albums, digitally re-mastered. The Russian Futurists international profile saw them become UK-label mates with The Go! Team and The Pipettes, spawn a whirlwind experience that put them on a UK tour with Peter, Bjorn & John, North American dates with long time friends Caribou and Junior Boys and playing to 10000 fans at the Mada Festival in Brazil, while receiving acclaim and praise from the likes of NME, Clash, Spin, Time Out London, BBC, and X-FM. All the while producer-songwriter singer Matt Hart was remixing the likes of Stars, Sloan, Sally Shapiro, Dykehouse, Shout Out Louds, and Cadence Weapon.
Born and bred in the cold and lonely Ontario, border-town of Cornwall, and raised on hockey [“loving the Leafs is like being in love with a terrible woman”] Matt found comfort in the simplicity of AM Radio. “There are songs that were produced to sound like they belonged there. I used to sit up at night and drink a bottle of red wine and listen to AM to get inspired. My roommates used to think I was kind of a weirdo when they would walk into my room at 2 am and find me drunk listening to ‘Buttons & Bows’. I would like to end up on AM when I’m old and grey.”
Surprisingly, Hart’s roots as a producer and arranger lie not in Pop. “I was a compulsive Hip Hop producer from age 13 to 19,” he admits, “and would finish a completed Hip Hop track, from start to finish, every day after school” This interest is still evident in the Russian Futurists’ electronic rhythms, but a passion for the Pop music of his childhood (Abbey Road was a prominent obsession) is the heart of The Russian Futurists. “When I eventually began to try to make music other than beats it wasn’t my intention to make Pop. It just came out. I felt I was being stifled by Hip Hop and wanted to experiment with melody.”
Hart constructs his songs under the ongoing influence of Phil Spector, Brian Wilson “He showed me that Pop was able to be listenable and experimental at the same time.” Honesty shines through in all of The Russian Futurists’ songs – all the more remarkable for them having been conceived in Matthew Hart’s bedroom. Hart cheekily describes his sound as a result of “trying to make all of my songs huge, ambitious productions on very limiting and awful equipment.”
It's Not Really Cold When It Snows
The Russian Futurists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Under the setting sun until we (were) getting numb
But could we find the two that matched like me and you?
Well I won't answer that 'cause there's no chance of that
But now come on girl, it's not really cold when it snows
Get outside, it's not really cold when it snows,
I still love you, it's not really cold when it snows unless you're underdressed
We used to marvel at the way houses looked back
When they had peaks of white and endless seas of lights
And trees without their leaves had led us to believe
The wind and heartless cold had frozen lightning bolts
And their arms reach out to the dancing snowflakes
They spin like kids skating on frozen lakes
And they know that it's not really cold when it snows unless you're underdressed
And we could keep our books on how the snowflakes looked
Under the setting sun until we're getting numb
But could we find the two that matched like me and you?
Well I won't answer that 'cause there's no chance of that
But now come on girl, it's not really cold when it snows
Get outside, it's not really cold when it snows,
I still love you, it's not really cold when it snows unless you're underdressed
The Russian Futurists' song "It's Not Really Cold When It Snows" celebrates the beauty of winter and snow. The lyrics describe how the singer and their significant other used to marvel at the way snowflakes looked under the setting sun until they were getting numb. However, despite the cold, they would still be outside admiring the surroundings. They used to find the two snowflakes that matched like they did, but the singer no longer feels they have a chance at that.
The chorus repeats the idea that it's not really cold when it snows, encouraging the listener to get outside and admire the winter wonderland. The singer reminds their love interest that they still love them despite the cold, but only if they are not underdressed. The verse's continue the theme of admiring how the snowflakes look on the houses and frozen trees, and how they reach out to the dancing snowflakes.
Overall, the song's message is one of beauty in the cold and winter despite its often harsh conditions, highlighting the importance of enjoying what the season has to offer.
Line by Line Meaning
We used to marvel at the way the snowflakes looked
We were amazed by how beautiful the snowflakes appeared.
Under the setting sun until we (were) getting numb
We watched the snowflakes in the evening until we grew too cold to continue.
But could we find the two that matched like me and you?
But could we find two snowflakes that were identical, like we are to each other?
Well I won't answer that 'cause there's no chance of that
I won't answer that question because it's impossible to find identical snowflakes, just as it's impossible to find two people who are exactly alike.
But now come on girl, it's not really cold when it snows
But now, my dear, don't be afraid of the cold weather because it's actually quite comfortable when it snows.
Get outside, it's not really cold when it snows,
Go outside, the cold isn't as bad as you think when it snows.
I still love you, it's not really cold when it snows unless you're underdressed
I love you, don't worry about the cold when it snows as long as you're dressed appropriately.
We used to marvel at the way houses looked back
We used to admire how houses looked when they were covered in snow.
When they had peaks of white and endless seas of lights
When the roofs were white with snow and the Christmas lights illuminated the landscape.
And trees without their leaves had led us to believe
We thought the trees without leaves were frozen by the cold.
The wind and heartless cold had frozen lightning bolts
The wind and cold were so intense that they had frozen lightning bolts in place.
And their arms reach out to the dancing snowflakes
The tree branches extended out to catch the falling snowflakes.
They spin like kids skating on frozen lakes
The branches spin in the wind like children skating on a frozen lake.
And they know that it's not really cold when it snows unless you're underdressed
The trees don't feel the cold when it snows, as long as they are properly insulated.
And we could keep our books on how the snowflakes looked
We could spend hours studying snowflakes and their unique shapes and patterns.
Under the setting sun until we're getting numb
Watching snowflakes until it grows too cold for us.
But could we find the two that matched like me and you?
We would search for identical snowflakes, just like we search for someone who is our perfect match.
Well I won't answer that 'cause there's no chance of that
I won't answer that question because just like finding identical snowflakes, finding someone who is a perfect match is also unlikely.
But now come on girl, it's not really cold when it snows
But now, my dear, the cold isn't actually cold when it snows.
Get outside, it's not really cold when it snows,
Go outside, the cold won't bother you as long as you're prepared.
I still love you, it's not really cold when it snows unless you're underdressed
I love you, and the cold won't be a problem if you're properly dressed for the weather.
Contributed by Elijah V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
TheWrexFactor
love the russian futurists!!!
Farang Abroad
Thank you so much for what you are. you're understand the essential in this universe. Jeez ! I feel so alive in you're stuff!
Mondo
I like, I like!