Album Review: Matt Maltese - 'Hers'
One for the yearners, ‘Hers’ has everyone falling back in love with Matt Maltese.
Matt Maltese has always worn his heart on his sleeve. From the moment he covered Leonard Cohen’s ‘Paper Thin Hotel’ in 2016 till today, he has built a reputation for his ability to capture love in all its forms. Everything he does is heartfelt; from the tone of his voice to the way he writes songs, anything he does is rooted in a love for love. His ability to navigate the complexities and nuances of relationships and their tendencies to have the power to be both devastating and liberating has cemented him as one of the best yearners in music : a yearning that has never been as intense as it is on ‘Hers’, his sixth album.
Maltese starts as he means to go on - simply dreamy. The clarinet that opens ‘Arthouse Cinema’ is an invitation for listeners into a world that feels warm, fluffy and with the sincerity that we have come to know from Matt. It sounds like it has been picked out of a time machine, an intention he has spoken a lot about with his songwriting.
“... the dream is always to make a song that you can hear in the background, and you think it might be some classic, old song, but then you listen to the lyrics and you’re like ‘Oh!’”
From opening track ‘Arthouse Cinema’ and on all 10 tracks that follow, Maltese does exactly that. He demonstrates how much he has grown as a songwriter, something that becomes more and more evident with the understanding that the album was written over a three year period. He has admitted himself that he has a long history of writing from a place of ‘infatuation’. On ‘Hers’, that has evolved into ‘maturation’ as he navigates love, lust, romance and sex and the ways they can often become blurred and entangled when working in tandem.
So much of ‘Hers’ is produced beautifully. Whether it be acoustic intimate instrumentations or sweeping orchestral arrangements, Maltese showcases all aspects of his musicality as well as the deft ability to seamlessly transition between them all. Haunting, devastatingly beautiful but also with the kind of melancholy that lingers long after the song has finished playing, a real standout emerges in ‘Happy Birthday’. Though it gleams with ornamental piano, string and brass sections, it is a track led largely by the acoustic guitar line, setting it apart from others on the album. It's a song I look forward to hearing live, mostly because I hope it gives Matt the opportunity to strip things back and let the melody do all the talking.
Towards the end of the album, Maltese joins the ever-growing collection of artists to take inspiration from 2004 film ‘Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind’. Track 9, which he titles ‘Eternal Darkness of the Spotless Mind’ is a reflection on a past relationship that explores the feeling of abandonment and having to try (and often avoid) dealing with the issues that come from being left behind. It is by no means the only ‘cinematic’ moment on the album because frankly Maltese’s ability to pay homage runs throughout. His love of film emerges time and time again on the album; the title of the opening track, the references here and there to directors past and present, lyrical mentions of TV screens and movies. We all wait with baited breath for the announcement of a Wes Anderson collaboration.
When not delving into the complexities of infatuation, the album keeps its heart alive with the self-deprecating humour and wit that has become synonymous with Maltese’s brand of songwriting. With the perfect balance of wryness and tenderness, he exposes the truths of what it means to love in the modern age, even the parts that embarrass him. On ‘ Everyone is Just as Crazy as Me’ and closing track ‘Take My Advice - Don’t Take My Advice’ he articulates his experiences in a way that is both uniquely his own whilst also somehow being universal to everyone.
It's so lovely to see Matt return to releasing his own music again. ‘Songs that Aren’t Mine’ that came out last year was loads of fun and gave him the chance to put his spin on well-loved classics, but there’s nothing quite like the vulnerability of hearing him in his own words. As much as many have enjoyed their resurgence on recent tours, when he takes these songs to stages across the world I hope for Matt it is without the need for elaborate sets or big displays. The simple magic of ‘Hers’ is how it makes listeners feel. Through the music alone, it has the ability to make you laugh, cry, reflect on past relationships and look forward to connections that have yet to be made. As he always has done, he has created songs that are experiences in themselves; capturing the moments that make life the messy but ultimately very special thing it is.
Words by Kirsty-Ann Thomson
