After five EPs, Matt Corby’s debut album Telluric has finally arrived – and damn has the kid delivered.
Having shed the ill-fitting shackles of reality TV stardom, Corby has matured into a refreshingly honest singer/songwriter with a very clear vision of the kind of music he wants to create. Though by the sounds of things, the journey hasn’t been a simple one.
“I actually recorded a whole other album before this one, in the U.S.A,” Corby reveals. “It was one of those weird situations where everyone was pulling me in different directions. We recorded about 22 songs in two weeks, and there were two producers and too many people all saying what the album should be and so it pretty much turned into a massive fucking mess.”
It takes some serious guts to step away from experience like that and start again from scratch. Yet the effort was well worth it. Telluric, is a masterful debut – an accomplished blend of soulful blues with a touch of jazz, funk, and gospel with a hint of the psychedelic.
Dark and moody, Belly Side Up effectively sets the tone of what’s to come, both lyrically and musically. But it’s not all heavy – Knife’s Edge and We Could Be Friends are deliciously funky, while Oh Oh Oh and Good To Be Alone showcase his flawless falsetto reminiscent of Brother.
It’s clear the dirty blues of Wrong Man comes from a very personal place. “Everyone has felt like that at some point in their life,” he explains. “Like, ‘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 you want.’ That’s when you need to be able to just walk away and re-evaluate.”
Corby’s own re-evaluation has resulted in something truly special. Each listen of Telluric will deliver a greater appreciation of everything from the percussive intricacies of his first single Monday (composed entirely of sounds made by Matt’s mouth and body) to the snippets of brutal honesty peppered throughout his lyrics.
Meaning, “of the earth” Telluric, sees Corby reach back to his roots and find a bold new voice – and the results are seriously impressive.
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‘Telluric’ is out Friday March 11th, grab a copy here and check out the dates and deets for his upcoming album tour.
Matt Corby – Knife Edge
