Dork
  • Music News
    • Latest News
    • Album Release Schedule
  • Features
    • Features & Interviews
    • Artist Guides
    • In Photos
  • New Music
    • Hype
    • Hype News
    • Hype Features & Interviews
    • Hype Reviews
  • Reviews
    • Album & EP Reviews
    • Live Reviews
  • Radio
    • Home
    • Shows
      • Down With Boring
    • Playlist
    • Listen Again
    • Podcast
      • Apple Podcasts
      • Spotify
      • Google Podcasts
      • Stitcher
      • aCast
      • TuneIn
  • Dork Presents
  • Magazine
    • Latest Issue
    • Back Issues
    • Print Subscriptions
    • Print + Digital Subscriptions
  • Shop
  • Supporters
    • Support Dork
    • Supporter Only Content
    • Digital Library
HTML5 RADIO PLAYER PLUGIN WITH REAL VISUALIZER powered by Sodah Webdesign Dexheim
Dork
  • Music News
    • Latest News
    • Album Release Schedule
  • Features
    • Features & Interviews
    • Artist Guides
    • In Photos
  • New Music
    • Hype
    • Hype News
    • Hype Features & Interviews
    • Hype Reviews
  • Reviews
    • Album & EP Reviews
    • Live Reviews
  • Radio
    • Home
    • Shows
      • Down With Boring
    • Playlist
    • Listen Again
    • Podcast
      • Apple Podcasts
      • Spotify
      • Google Podcasts
      • Stitcher
      • aCast
      • TuneIn
  • Dork Presents
  • Magazine
    • Latest Issue
    • Back Issues
    • Print Subscriptions
    • Print + Digital Subscriptions
  • Shop
  • Supporters
    • Support Dork
    • Supporter Only Content
    • Digital Library
  • Album & EP Reviews

Matt Maltese – Madhouse EP

  • Dork
  • September 18, 2020
Label:
Released: 7th August 2020
Rating: ★★★★

Seasons come and go but Matt Maltese yearns forever. At least, that’s if ‘Madhouse’ is anything to go by, a six track follow-up to last winter’s ‘Krystal’ LP which once again finds hopeless Matty seeking amoré in a glistening analogue soundscape.

In the Matt Maltese cinematic universe, details are everything. On ‘Hi’ it’s “the cat by your side”, “the torch that you shine”, “the straw in your Sprite” he longs to be, while on ‘Little Person’, in its lilting, melancholic glory, he manages to make suburban banality sound like heaven, should you have the right partner beside you.

His wry lyrics are romantic, sure, but he’d rather revel in the chase than celebrate the pay-off; ‘Queen Bee’ (which features Sorry’s Asha and The Lemon Twigs’ Brian on backing vocals/guitar, FYI) is chirpy and sweet, but it’s the “I would love you” that makes Matt’s songwriting what it is. He pokes fun at himself and the genre of love songs, never coming across as bitter or wanky so much as just a guy looking for a gal, but you know, cool if not, no worries.

Co-producer Jonathon Rado’s rose-tinted Californian touch melds like a dream with Matt’s gloomy metropolitan cynicism, bringing a kitschy pep that gives the whole EP a lush, summery lift, especially on the title track. Lonely hearts rejoice, this one’s for you.

Alex Cabré

You May Also Like
View Post
  • Music News

The new issue of Dork, featuring Gorillaz, is coming this Friday – pre-order now

  • February 7, 2023
View Post
  • In Photos

Priestgate kicked off the Dork Hype List Tour 2023 last night in Glasgow, and it looked like this

  • February 4, 2023
View Post
  • Music News

The 1975 have been announced as official ambassadors of Record Store Day UK 2023

  • February 6, 2023
Latest issue
Latest
    • Music News
    Tove Lo has announced a new single ‘Borderline’, co-written with Dua Lipa
    • Music News
    Bakar has dropped a brand new single, ‘Good News’
    • Music News
    Dream Wife have announced their new album, ‘Social Lubrication’
    • Music News
    Sharon Van Etten is going to release an anniversary edition of her album ‘Tramp’
    • Music News
    Gilla Band‘s new single is about “announcing embarrassing facts” – check out ‘Sports Day’

Subscribe to our newsletter

Get pop nonsense to your inbox.

Dork
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Privacy
© 2016-2021 The Bunker Publishing Ltd

Input your search keywords and press Enter.