{{for|the 2016 Chinese film|Never Said Goodbye (film)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox album | name = Never Said Goodbye | type = studio | artist = Cerys Matthews | cover = Cerys_Matthews_-_Never_Said_Goodbye.jpg | alt = | released = 21 August 2006 | recorded = | venue = | studio = | genre = | length = 45:19 | label = Rough Trade | producer = | prev_title = Cockahoop | prev_year = 2003 | next_title = Don't Look Down | next_year = 2009 | misc = {{Singles | name = Never Said Goodbye | type = studio | single1 = Open Roads | single1date = 7 August 2006 | single2 = A Bird in Hand | single2date = 14 August 2006 }} }} '''''Never Said Goodbye''''' is the second solo studio album by Welsh singer-songwriter Cerys Matthews. It was released on 21 August 2006 by Rough Trade Records. Matthews co-produced the album with Ben Elkins and Stuart Sikes.
The album received generally positive reviews from music critics, who noted its folk influences and "expansive" sound compared with its predecessor, ''Cockahoop''. ''Never Said Goodbye'' peaked at no. 1 on the UK Independent Albums chart.
== Release and promotion == "Open Roads" was released as the album's lead single on 7 August 2006. The maxi single included covers of "Soul Love" by David Bowie and "Grace Cathedral Hill" by The Decemberists.<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Open Roads|type=liner notes|others=Cerys Matthews|publisher=Rough Trade Records|year=2006|id=RTRADSCD357}}</ref> Ahead of the album's release, Matthews embarked on a UK tour which began on 27 July 2006 at Llangollen Town Hall and concluded with a headline slot at Cardiff Big Weekend festival on 6 August 2006.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/review-the-big-weekend-2319405|title=Review: The Big Weekend|date=7 August 2006|work=WalesOnline|access-date=16 June 2022}}</ref>
== Critical reception == {{Album ratings | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}<ref name="AllMusic">{{cite web|last=Mawer|first=Sharon|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/never-said-goodbye-mw0000742786|title=Never Said Goodbye – Cerys Matthews|website=AllMusic|access-date=8 June 2022}}</ref> | rev2 = ''The Independent'' | rev2Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref name="Independent">{{cite news|last=Price|first=Simon|title=ABC Discs|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/722988789/|work=The Independent|publisher=Independent Digital News & Media Ltd|location=London, United Kingdom|page=94|date=20 August 2006|accessdate=8 June 2022|via=Newspapers.com}} {{subscription required}}</ref> | rev3 = ''The Skinny'' | rev3Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="TheSkinny">{{cite news|last=Seller|first=Jon|title=Cerys Matthews - Never Said Goodbye|url=https://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/reviews/albums/cerys-matthews-never-said-goodbye|work=The Skinny|date=14 August 2006|accessdate=28 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416144547/https://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/reviews/albums/cerys-matthews-never-said-goodbye|archive-date=16 April 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> }} Sharon Mawer of AllMusic gave ''Never Said Goodbye'' a mixed review, noting its "pleasant folky numbers" though opining that various moments are "just too slow".<ref name="AllMusic"/> Simon Price of ''The Independent'' described the album as a more "confident affair" than Matthews' previous album ''Cockahoop'', and "a polite, bijou piece of work which rewards your attention but never demands it."<ref name="Independent"/> Nicole Keiper of ''The Tennessean'' described ''Never Said Goodbye'' as a "far more pop-rocked up affair" than its predecessor.<ref name="Tennessean">{{cite news|last=Keiper|first=Nicole|title=More Nashville Pop of Note|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/277493603/|work=The Tennessean|location=Nashville, Tennessee|page=D9|date=23 July 2006|accessdate=14 June 2022|via=Newspapers.com}} {{subscription required}}</ref> Naomi West of ''The Daily Telegraph'' opined that the album is "huge [and] expansive of spirit and sound" featuring "songs backed with dense arrangements of pounding drums, eccentric backing vocals and squirling organs".<ref>{{cite news|last=West|first=Naomi|title=Cerys Matthews – Never Said Goodbye|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/753265894/|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London, United Kingdom|page=144|date=19 August 2006|accessdate=14 June 2022|via=Newspapers.com}} {{subscription required}}</ref> Jon Seller of ''The Skinny'' magazine described ''Never Said Goodbye'' as an "interesting if at times pedestrian album" featuring "easy-going beats, pleasant guitar and Matthews' trademark domineering vocals".<ref name="TheSkinny"/>
==Track listing== {{Track listing
| title1 = Streets of New York | writer1 = Cerys Matthews | length1 = 4:37
| title2 = A Bird in Hand | writer2 = Matthews | length2 = 3:32
| title3 = Oxygen | writer3 = Matthews | length3 = 4:31
| title4 = Open Roads | writer4 = {{hlist|Matthews|Jonny Male|John Smith}} | length4 = 4:37
| title5 = This Endless Rain | writer5 = {{hlist|Matthews|Kevin Teel}} | length5 = 3:42
| title6 = Blue Light Alarm | writer6 = {{hlist|Matthews|Teel}} | length6 = 3:42
| title7 = Morning Sunshine | writer7 = {{hlist|Matthews|Gruff Rhys}} | length7 = 2:31
| title8 = Seed Song | writer8 = {{hlist|Matthews|Male|Pete Smith}} | length8 = 5:05
| title9 = What Kind of Man | writer9 = Matthews | length9 = 1:18
| title10 = Ruby | writer10 = Matthews | length10 = 3:21
| title11 = Elen | writer11 = {{hlist|Matthews|Rhys}} | length11 = 8:44
| total_length = 45:19 }}
==Credits== Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Never Said Goodbye''.<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Never Said Goodbye|type=liner notes|others=Cerys Matthews|publisher=Rough Trade Records|year=2006|id=RTRADCD227}}</ref>
===Musicians=== {{div-col}} *Cerys Matthews - vocals, guitars *Kevin Teel - guitars *Gruff Rhys - acoustic guitar (track 11), vocals (tracks 3 & 11) *Matt Martin - acoustic guitar (track 7), percussion (tracks 7 & 11) *William Tyler - acoustic guitar (track 11) *Mason Neely - drums (all tracks except 2, 10 & 11) *Jeremy Lutito - drums (tracks 2 & 10) *Brad Pemberton - drums (track 11) *Byron House - bass (tracks 1–6, 8–9) *Jeff Irwin - bass (tracks 7, 10, 11), euphonium (track 6) *James Haggerty - bass (track 10) *Ben Elkins - keyboards, backing vocals, programming *Troy Johnson - additional piano (track 11) *Eric Darken - percussion *Todd Kemp - additional percussion (track 11) *Janice Corder, Everett Drake, Ann McRary - backing vocals (tracks 2, 8 & 11) *Sam Ashworth - backing vocals (track 4) *Lloyd Barry, Vinnie Ciesieski - trumpets *Roy Agee - trombone *Jay Phillips - trombone (track 6) {{div-col-end}}
===Production=== *Producers - Cerys Matthews, Stuart Sikes, Ben Elkins *Engineers - Stuart Sikes, Jeremy Ferguson *Arrangers - Ben Elkins, Cerys Matthews *Mixer - Jeremy Ferguson *Mastering - Andrew Mendelson *A&R - Seth Riddle
==Charts== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |+ Chart performance of ''Never Said Goodbye'' ! scope="col"| Chart (2006) ! scope="col"| Peak<br />position |- {{album chart|UK2|43|date=20060827|rowheader=true|accessdate=24 May 2022}} |- {{album chart|UKIndependent|1|date=20060827|rowheader=true|accessdate=24 May 2022}} |}
==References== {{reflist}} {{Cerys Matthews|state=autocollapse}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:2006 albums Category:Cerys Matthews albums Category:Rough Trade Records albums