NEW ALBUM: Matt Berry ~ Phantom Birds

[Ruby]

MATT BERRY ~ Phantom Birds


 
I see this is released under the Acid Jazz label – not sure I’d go that far but there is something of that. The first time I listened it lulled me gently to sleep – maybe I was tired, stressful week! It actually occurred to me that this one was more music for insomniacs than Music for Insomniacs! Lol! Thought to be fair, I’d better listen again. 

Nothing at all unpleasant - he's really competent, but it’s a bit samey and ploddish, hence the soporific effect, I guess. Not much variation in timing nor in chord progressions, to my ear. I heard a distinctly Shadows “Apache” type of thing going on in some places and then found myself thinking of Rodriguez during “Man of Doom” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbvx_kYHin4. Feeling ambivalent about the album - fence sitting – I’ll fall off one way or the other at some point - hope it's not too high!  

The opener - "Something In My Eye" ... 

[CRAZY-HORSE]

on Man Of Doom, yeah sure does have Rodriguez written all over it, even heard hints of Dylan's Hurricane for a split second at the beginning.

on the other track, heard the opening of Sister Golden Hair for a few seconds.

both tracks have a '70s MOR sound to me,
cover art is rooted firmly in that era also.
will give the full album a listen.

[CRAZY-HORSE]

hearing a heck of a lot of early/mid '70s influences from Rodriguez, Dylan, America, Chapin, possibly even Peter Sarstedt as an outsider.

sort of the folk/folk-rock/MOR sounds...
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he is most definately rooted back in that period as i found another album by him called "television themes" which is his take on old TV themes from UK shows from you guessed it....the 1970s.
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back to the new album though:

like Ruby,
seemed to be a lot of one sound, very little change in anything really so i listened again.
same thing...like the album, no change in my opinion.
i want to say i really like it but do i really like it or is it because it sounds familiar,
and as we know, we all love familiarity as it makes us feel safe, secure and conforted especially in these uncertain times we now find ourselves in.

im sitting on the same fence as Ruby, afraid to get off because im not sure which grass is greener.