SOUL MINING

"Johnson flexes a rare literary flair. Ignore this LP if you must but you'll be ignoring one of the year's rare heart stopping moments."
- NME

"Nothing seems beyond Johnson's reach, from hard Jazz and African chants to wistful British romance."
- THE TIMES

"From pounding beats and punchy melodies through to passionate lyrics and personal propoganda. Just slip it on and watch as any room of your choice becomes awash with colour and excitement."
- SOUNDS

"Matt Johnson writes great and classic songs. He is the most important pop artist to emerge this decade."
- TIME OUT

"What distinguishes Johnson from the rest of the horde is his sense of structure and unerring ear for sonic definition."
- ROLLING STONE

"Among all the superficial prettiness that fills the charts, Matt Johnson stands out as one person who has something worthwhile to say and says it well. A rare bird indeed.”
- RECORD MIRROR

"Johnson harnesses the ordinary, the passionate, the familiar and the unknown to come up with a tough, anxious but romantic swag bag of songs.”
- CITY LIMITS

"Soul Mining is certainly something to be treasured. One of those integrity laden packages which manages to be both experimental and accessible.”
- PENTHOUSE

"Never mind record of the week, this is the week of the TheThe record. I rate this album very, very highly.”
- SMASH HITS

"While much modern music slumbers under the general anaesthetic, Soul Mining uses pain as a proof of life with an intensity that’s often hard to take. It’s almost perfect.”
- NUMBER 1

"Songs that are just so intense, so close to the bone, they can make you blush.”
- THE FACE

"Like shaving lotion applied to cleanse a wound, Johnson’s songs are attractively scented and sting like hell"
- MELODY MAKER

"A cleverly gloomy album filled with excellent songs of meandering introspection.”
- THE GUARDIAN

"Balanced precariously between tender naiveté and undeniable genius.”
- ZIGZAG