Elliott, Matt
Howling Songs
Matt Elliott has rather an atypical course... He used to work under the pseudo The Third Eye Foundation - emblematic figure of the English electronic scene recognized for his atypical electro tinted by drum' N bass. Since his first album under his own name "The mess we made" (domino records), Matt Elliott turns to compositions much more folk, forsaking the laptop and the machines - which go until disappearing, to return to more traditional instruments (guitar, piano, violin...). "Howling songs" is the magnificent third and last part to the "songs trilogy". We are back to this slavonic tune, without any definite frontier, whose only and constant heritage finds its roots in European music. This is a very haunted and personal piece of music which is the testimony of a unique talent where moving melodies follow other moving melodies balancing between ballad songs and folk music, madness and reason, revolt and despair. "Howling songs" sympathises with the surrounding world, it is a definitive observation in which one can feel, throughout the songs, an outraged sensitivity which is the signature of the artist. It is all the more sensitive that Matts voice is sometimes present without any chorus in the background, bringing to the whole both confidence and unquestionable heat. "Howling songs" is, without a doubt, the most introspective album by Matt Elliott and the one which carries best his musical personality.