Matt Corby’s debut album “Telluric” is everything we wanted it to be; soulful, emotional, gripping, and full of the ripping arpeggios he executes so well. It is a far cry from his past EP’s, and I for one am glad.
Matt Corby has been in the spotlight for a while. He was runner-up on Australian Idol in the early 2000s, has travelled widely since then desperately trying to get away from his ‘Idol’ image, and has released some incredible singles that are still much-loved and regularly played. “Brother,” from his EP “Into the Flame,” roused an audience into an angry, dancing mass, while “Resolution” had us crooning along with tears in our eyes. The disappointing element to these albums, however, was that outside of these singles he did not have the substance to keep the listener interested. While they were beautiful little tunes, most of the other tracks could not keep the audience awake.
“Telluric” is a different story. Corby has found a comfortable spot in his musical style that embodies the purity in his earlier music and gives it some substance to maintain the audience. It is an obvious, and welcome, maturation of his talent and career.
Up first, we have “Belly Side Up.” Its intriguing beginning is simple, yet effective, subtle, but assertive. It creates a haunting backdrop to Corby’s vocals when they start in. The tune sits heavily on the listener’s ears, like many songs on “Telluric,” as the profundity of each song weighs down upon them.
“Monday” is a real demonstration of the enormous control Corby has over his voice, as he gently takes us through the song with little of the tremor he often employs. Backing harmonies and faint clapping give the idea of a gospel choir, and Corby’s sweeping arpeggios are strangely reminiscent of Disney classics. Perhaps it is notable because Corby tends to avoid singing in a major key in most of the other songs on this album.
As we delve further into the album, the songs liven up more and more. “Knife’s Edge” is funkier, more upbeat, and we hear the addition of a whispering cymbal to layer more texture in the song. Corby ventures into his higher register, and a faster verse, and it works. It is refreshing and very well done, as is the pop-style chorus. The backing arrangement perfectly follows the vocals, dipping when the song becomes serious, and rising when he becomes more hopeful. It is again obvious that he is changing it up a bit, with an interesting start, and another whispery verse.
“Oh Oh Oh” feels jazz and blues inspired, without quite being a jazz and blues song, because it has a faint swing beat and carries a lot of attitude in the arrangement, but Corby’s own style is still evident throughout.
“Wong Man” is a change of scenery as Corby’s deep bass is unleashed in this brooding and soulful tune. The song is moody, dark, with only a slight touch of high-pitched synth to lighten certain spots. The majority of the arrangement is down with Corby’s vocals, almost pulsating in nature, and making the listener unconsciously sway with the music.
The standout song of “Telluric” is without a doubt, “Sooth Lady Wine.” It sounds exactly like the name would suggest – smooth, and confident, with a sassy swing beat. It conjures the image of an old-fashioned bar, with stained oak panels on the walls, dim mood lighting, and plush furnishing, and would not be out of place in film-noir.
“Do No Harm” does exactly as is says, and does no harm to “Telluric.” Unfortunately, it does not do anything else either. It is the only song able to wash over the listener without noticing that time had passed. Thankfully, after “Do No Harm” comes “We could be Friends,” ready to draw us back into the album. With a slightly eerie beginning and the constant thrumming of a base guitar, this song is all about the texture of the arrangement. Corby’s husky, whispering vocals are back, and, in terms of his moodier songs, the vulnerability conveyed through this pondering song makes it one to remember.
“Why Dream” is wistful, hopeful, and more upbeat than much of “Telluric.” Staccato high notes maintain some light-heartedness in the song, which is a refreshing element by track no.9.
“Good to Be Alone” is the song in which Corby finds a perfect balance between purity and substance. A long guitar, playing melancholically, gets a whole minute intro to itself, but it works as Corby comes in sounding vulnerable and emotional. The entire song is stripped back to one guitar and Corby’s vocals, and the result is a beautiful tune that is simplistic, honest, and pure. When the backing is simple, Corby’s vocals are more complicated, and vice versa – when he goes for numerous drawn out notes the accompanying guitar weave and intricate melody behind him. Corby exposes his angelic falsetto, as he reflects, “I was lost in the dark, we all had to play our part, I was haunted by the world, the one that froze my heart.”
“Empires Attraction”, after “Do You No Harm,” is the most underwhelming track on an otherwise superb album. It, however, works as an ending to “Telluric”, as it doesn’t shock us out of the chilled, funky mood the album conveys. It is a well-done, but uneventful track that rounds the album off and says goodbye.
We have been waiting a long time for Matt Corby to release a full album, and while it may have taken a long time, Corby has evidently used that time to refine and hone his musical skills and deliver an album truly worth listening to.
8/10
