Matt Berry returns three years in from his psych outing The Blue Elephant reviewed here with his eighth album Heard Noises which promises a more 60’s psychedelic pop sound than it predecessor. Going off the first single I Gotta Limit it’s fair to see we’re all stepping into that time machine only Matt Berry can let us hitch a lift in. Read on…
Matt Berry announces new album Heard Noises with the release of the single ‘I Gotta Limit’, featuring Kitty Liv:
Other guests include Eric D. Johnson (The Shins/Fruit Bats), Pokerface actress Natasha Lyonne and Matt’s Mum’s Choir
Following the huge acclaim of Matt Berry’s 2021 album The Blue Elephant (“A sonic odyssey” – Uncut) – as well as last year’s one-off album of library music for the KPM label (“another string to Berry’s impressive bow” – Prog magazine) – on 24 January Acid Jazz Records will release Heard Noises, Matt’s eighth studio album with the label.
Lead single ‘I Gotta Limit’ finds Matt trading lines with Kitty Liv (Kitty, Daisy and Lewis) as a man after a second chance with a woman impatient with his pleading. With a song structure inspired by Sly Stone, in a little over three minutes ‘I Gotta Limit’ crams in a plethora of musical ideas on an instantly catchy song which is part Northern Soul, part psych.
In contrast to The Blue Elephant’s dizzying trip through an idiosyncratic love of British Psych, Freakbeat, Acid Rock and late ‘60s pop, Heard Noises finds Matt heading for a looser, Californian psychedelia through his love of the trippier sounds of space pop and rock, and his ear for an eerie, haunting melody.
Once again, the album is testament to Matt’s exceptional musicianship, production skills and songwriting prowess. Almost all instruments are played by Matt including, guitars, bass, a variety of keyboards (acoustic and Wurlitzer pianos) and synthesizers (including Moogs, Vox, Farfisa, Gibson, Eminent organs) and Mellotron.
He is joined by long-time collaborator, neo-progressive drummer Craig Blundell, and guests including Pokerface’s Natasha Lyonne and back with Matt is The Shins/Fruit Bats’ Eric D. Johnson (acoustic guitar, autoharp and backing vocals on ‘Why On Fire?’, ‘To Live For What Once Was’ and ‘Snakes That Slide’), Phil Scraggs (lap steel guitar on ‘To Live For What Once Was’ and ‘Snakes That Slide’), Rosie McDermott (vocals on ‘Sky High’) and the S. Club 60s Choir featuring Matt’s mum.
In many ways Heard Noises could be considered the perfect distillation of the extraordinary breadth of musical ideas across Matt’s albums to date.
Very much a vinyl-listening experience, as with his previous albums Matt has sequenced Heard Noises accordingly:
Side One
- Why On Fire?
- Silver Rings
- Interlude
- Be Alarmed
- I Gotta Limit (featuring Kitty Liv)
- Wedding Photo Stranger
- Stay On The Ground
Side Two
- I Entered As I Came (featuring Natasha Lyonne)
- There Are Monsters
- To Live For What Once Was
- Canada Dry
- The Snakes Will Slide
- Interlude 2
- Sky High
