Pop-rocker Matthew Sweet [ tickets ] comes out of hiding this fall for a run of dates behind his first studio album of original material in more than four years.

The singer, who tours infrequently and has made only a relative handful of live appearances over the last five years, kicked off his current run earlier this week, and continues the outing tonight (8/27) in San Juan Capistrano, CA. The tour takes a month off in September, and returns for nine additional shows through late October.

Alternative power-pop sibling act The Bridges opens all shows. Dates are below.

Sweet self-produced his 10th solo LP, "Sunshine Lies," which hit stores this week, at his own recording studio in Los Angeles, with instrumental backup that included a trio of guitarists and old friends: Richard Lloyd (Television), Ivan Julian (Richard Hell & the Voidoids) and Greg Leisz. The set also features guest vocals from Bangles lead singer Susanna Hoffs, with whom Sweet collaborated on his most recent studio effort, the 2006's covers LP "Under the Covers, Vol. 1."

Sweet, on his website, described his new album as "very direct, but seen through the eyes of nature, or rather modeled on its beauty, chaos and freedom."

The set continues a nature theme that Sweet has employed on recent albums. "[2004's] 'Living Things' is more like a book of poetry to me," he said, "whereas this record is more whole in the sense that it more fully explores my preoccupations with nature and the universe."

But fans shouldn't expect only gentle songs about flowers from the new disc. "When it rocks, it rocks its ass off," Sweet affirmed.

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