Lopez Blogs

Discovering the Matt Morris album so early in the year is a bit of a delight - it is music that envelopes you and warms you from the inside out, perfect for these cold winter months. And it is no doubt the first great album to be released in 2010. Quite magnificent in fact - I was engrossed from first chord to last fading note and then had to listen all over again. Repeatedly. Inevitably reviews of music lead to comparisons, which is a bit of a double edged sword (aren't all swords double edged?) ~ on the one hand it gives the reader something to compare a new artist too. On the other hand it can suggest that there is a lack of originality about the person. So when I say that Matt Morris sounds at times like Jason Mraz, at others like Prince please be assured that at all times Matt has poured his heart and soul seemingly into every single note and nuance of this wonderful album.

With his stock rising thanks to a spellbinding duet with Justin Timberlake (video above - donate to Haiti here), it seems more and more people are being seduced by Matt's music. He opens the album with the taught and funky Don't You Dare, a heavily percussive vibe punctuated with fuzzy electro noises and a confident, assertive vocal. He's more laid back on the insightful Money (the first single and performed on a number of US chat shows this week - see video below) and the effortlessly romantic Love (written for his husband). The former espouses the benefits and pitfalls of having money (cleverly nuancing the word money to suit each aspect of the song's lyrics) and being poor, while the latter is a chaotic yet controlled mix of instruments that mirror how crazy and inexplicable, yet wonderful and just so love can be. The UnAmerican wins instant points for gorgeous strings and it's almost nursery like Disney-esque melody (think Mika's Toy Boy) before it builds into a great pop song with wry complex lyrics. When Matt really lets loose (like on the fluid You Do It For Me), you can imagine him grooving down with a live band just seeing where the music takes him, while you pull your knees up to your chin and just watch in awe. It's a great organic sound that's most prevalent on this track but weaves successfully through the album.

There's also a more subdued side to Mr Morris and that shines in the most exemplary way on the hymn-like Let It Go. A restrained torch song that is both uplifting and heartbreaking, it is led and powered by a flawless vocal and ably accompanied by reverent piano and strings - the effect is quite heavenly and mesmerising. Other ballads are more reminiscent of Who Am I/Tell Me The Worst by William Young - timeless, elegant, beautiful and crafted for the ages rather than bowing to current trends. It's an album of love, hope, betrayal, hurt and redemption. It speaks to everyone at different stages in your life - whether you have lived them yet or not, this is an album that is so lushly layered and seductively nuanced that it will soundtrack your experiences for a long time yet. Quite, quite phenomenal.