Album Review: Matt Berry - "The Blue Elephant"

 

And as promised, following on from the catch-up earlier today, here's the review of Matt Berry's new album. Although there's only been an eight month gap between Phantom Birds and The Blue Elephant, the two couldn't be more different - while the former was a quite lovely collection of acoustic led torch songs, this album sees Berry going for a more '60s style psychedelic garage rock sound with instrumental interludes and all manner of instruments being chucked into the mix.

Berry is on good form again here - the Doorsy Alone and Summer Sun which harks back to Ogden's Nut Gone Flake era Small Faces. There's definitely a comparison to be made here with Chris Catalyst's excellent Life Is Often Brilliant album from a few years ago in that it's the sound of a talented musician throwing everything into the pot and coming up with a deceptively addictive brew.

There's a fair share of curveballs as well - just when you think you've got this pegged as a '60s psychedelic influenced album, Berry throws something in like the five minute Blues Inside Me, one part Man Who Sold The World era Bowie, one part Transformer era Lou Reed.

If there's the occasional moment where the album loses focus and drifts off into the fog a bit such as on the epic title track then there's usually something to come along soon enough to bring it back home like the funky Like Stone. Although, if I'm completely honest, I do slightly prefer the more straight-ahead and affecting Phantom Birds, The Blue Elephant does still have plenty to recommend it, not least the sheer scope of the thing that really can't be faulted even if it doesn't quite hit the mark every time. A slightly flawed masterpiece then but still well worth a listen.

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NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑🌑 (7/10)

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