Matt Maltese – ‘Driving Just to Drive’
British-Canadian singer Matt Maltese has made some violent ripples in the music industry over the past few years, very much in contrast to his smooth balladry. Since ‘Even If It’s a Lie’, his debut single of 2015, Maltese has released three studio albums and two EPs which have garnered him a respectable following. While emotional piano ballads are his bread and butter, Maltese has proven that he can bleed into more energetic and guitar-driven territories.
Driving Just to Drive arrives as Maltese’s fourth full-length record in five years. With its string of previewing singles, ‘Mother’, ‘Driving Just to Drive’ and ‘Florence’, he promised something equally refined and terrestrially cosmic as its predating releases. In that oxymoron, I, of course, refer to Maltese’s characteristically nebulous dream-pop sound, which, more often than not, harmonises with relatable ruminations on quotidian life.
In ‘Mother’, the album’s first single and first track, Maltese offers a dour break-up song over pensive piano chords. As a breakwater for the tedium of such a well-trodden path, the 25-year-old gives advice beyond his years as he narrates the song from the perspective of a parent who’s lost an in-law: “And yesterday I told my mother/You learn to love again/And oh, she was the daughter you never had/And I know sometimes you might miss her/But I know the years can heal/And if there is another/Maybe you’ll love them in the same way you loved her”.
Over the next two tracks, ‘Irony Would Have It’ and ‘Florence’, Maltese steps up the tempo with punchier piano melodies and sonorous choruses. At times in ‘Irony Would Have It’, the mix allows the piano to crowd out Maltese’s choppy mumbling vocal style. In ‘Florence’, on the other hand, his vocals are better framed by a steady-building composition with a heavy orchestral presence towards the crescendo.
‘Mortician’ marks a peak for the album regarding optimism and energy. This is mostly achieved with skeletal guitar rhythm overlain by tropical lead riffs. Although this marks the album’s most upbeat moment, the energy isn’t exhausted at this juncture and gives a bounce to ‘Museum’ and the soaring choruses of ‘Hello Black Dog’ and ‘Suspend Your Disbelief’.
One of the album’s finest moments comes with ‘Coward’, which hears a guest vocal from Biig Piig to add much-needed variety to proceedings. Beyond Biig Piig’s appearance, the track is musically anomalous on the album. The piano and snares are just as present, but brass and synth intrusions and Maltese’s soulful vocals give a psychedelic jazz feel to the song.
‘Coward’ is directly followed by another highlight, the title track, which was released as the album’s second single. The well-balanced composition thrives on orchestral accompaniment and less-is-more guitar bends, which give the song full dream-pop license.
In Driving Just to Drive, Maltese hasn’t, as the title might suggest, made music for the sake of making music. The prolific youngster has once again shown his knack for inspired songwriting and piano composition. Much of the album follows a similar pattern musically, manifesting the image of a sturdy spice rack that could just do with a few more spices. That said, there are several transient moments that break the mould, demanding our full undivided attention.
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