Matt Elliott Review

Matt Elliott - Drinking Songs
(Ididailleurs records)

For those who know me will be aware I have been into Matt Elliott and his music for quite a long period now, to begin with his work with the Bristol Noise Folk duo Flying Saucer Attack around the 1995 territory, which was then followed with his drum and bass excursions with guitar under "Third Eye Foundation" before he finally went solo under his own name "The Mess We Made" in 2003.

"The Mess We Made" was a remarkable album, which is almost cinematic in places which shows Matt often remixing him halfway through a song and using the
Basics for it to often finish off with a completely different song.

"Drinking Songs", Matt's follow up to this on first listens follows a very similar pattern, expect it is more guitar based in pattern on the opening track "C.F.Bundy" with increased use of Matt's vocals, which seem to carry a almost opera flavour to it.

However on repeated listenings to it, different layers seem to come through, which although completely different to his earlier, more wildly experimental early Third
Eye Foundation tracks seem to cover a similar pattern in the way some of the tracks seem to play around almost with your mind.

Take for example, the almost brutal in places near 20 minute finale track "The Maid We Messed" which although starts off with a note played backwards, the track develops slowly with some nice guitar and keyboard works before again some of the notes are played backwards and before you know it, a wicked drum beat seems to kick in from almost now-where and before you know 20 minutes have gone by and it doesn't seem long enough, Which I guess is the way a good pint for me always seems, it always ends too quickly.

Nice work, Matt.