It is fair to say that Matt Corby’s debut album, Telluric, has been a long time coming.
It’s over two years since his last release (his fifth EP Resolution), the journey to this point has been a tumultuous one. Work began on the album in the US, however after recording 22 songs in a two week period, the results of the difficult session were eventually scrapped altogether.
With two producers and major label on board, Corby found “too many people all saying what the album should be and so it pretty much turned into a massive fucking mess.”
The singer returned home, locked himself away from outside influences, and began again. He taught himself to play a wide variety of instruments, feeling he needed “…to be able to play every instrument well enough to get the ideas out of my head.”
After a self-imposed six-month music filled exile in a house overlooking Tweed River, Corby went to Paris to begin recording with producer Mocky (Feist, Peaches), with whom he had worked with on 2013’s Resolution EP.
After recording seven songs, on which Corby played every instrument, he returned home to continue writing, eventually finishing the album in Australia with producer Dann Hume (Evermore).
The result is Telluric, 11 songs that reflect the sort of music that Corby wanted to release. It is an album that not only displays his roots music background, but reflects his love of funk, blues and soul. Album opener ‘Belly Side Up’ sets the tone and mood for what is to come, and a song which Corby tackles his issues with dependency; either from the perspective of a past love, or perhaps his sometimes destructive relationship with the music industry throughout his career.
First single ‘Monday’ is a clear highlight, with no instruments, the song is just the singer and the noises he can make with his voice and body, layered backing vocals providing the melody.
Tackling his feelings about faith and religion, it is one of many personal tracks on the album. ‘Knife Edge’ is the first of the more upbeat tracks, the doubled guitar/keys melodic line and catchy chorus mean this is the one you will be humming once the album ends.
[include_post id=”473213″]The superb ‘Wrong Man’ perhaps gives the best insight into Corby’s mindset during the recording process. The song is warm, laid back, yet conveys a sense of anger. Lyrically Corby confronts some of the misconceptions about who or what he should be, something that he feels he has dealt with his entire career.
He explains; “I am part of this system and I have to play this game, and there’s all this weird shit in the middle of it, and I just don’t feel like I am the guy that (they) want. That’s when you need to be able to just walk away and re-evaluate.” Walk away he did, and was lucky enough to have a label that not only let him, but trusted his talent enough to give him free reign. They have been justly rewarded.
Having begun his career in an environment that rewards vocal acrobatics above all else, the vocal delivery on Telluric is refreshingly subtle and understated, as is the instrumentation. Yet Corby has the voice to belt it out when needed, and at times he does so to great effect.
On tracks such as the beautiful ‘Good To Be Alone’, his well known smooth falsetto provides a quiet and introspective moment, almost Buckley like it its simplicity. Lyrically this song continues the theme of self-doubt that seems ever present throughout.
Overall, Telluric is an impressive album, at times exceptional, yet there are moments where it feels a little forced. In ‘We Could Be Friends’ Corby tries his hand at a more upbeat funk sound, which he doesn’t quite pull off.
Other tracks, especially in the second half of the album, require a few listens before they reveal themselves. It must be remembered however, that despite seemingly being in the industry for a long time, Matt Corby is only 25.
As an artist he is still growing and maturing into his own sound. Telluric is evidence of his talent as a songwriter and musician, and the range he is capable of. It is great, but we can be nothing but excited about what he is likely to produce into the future.
