MatAre has proven adept at taking echoes of the past and weaving them into the sound of the future, time and time again. And whilst there is certainly lots to appreciate for people like myself who remember those heady post-punk days, that explosion of creativity which followed such nihilistic and regimented times, most I suspect will not. All they can do is take the music at face value, bereft of baggage, no expectations, devoid of preconceptions…which is as it always should be anyway.
No matter which angle you come from, there is no denying that matar la luz is fantastic. Whether it is ‘The Variant’s ‘ blend of depth-charge bass groove and slowly growing tension, or the brooding yet infectious alt-pop of ‘A Knot You Can’t Unwind’, the dream-pop grace of ‘The One Thing’, a song that seems ephemeral and ecstatic in its beauty or the digital drive and dexterity of ‘Evil And Beautiful’, a song with more than a slight psychedelic echo of The Church, in their Heyday heyday (geddit?), there is plenty to love here.
Who cares if it reminds you of something from your youth? What does it matter if there are hints of past glories…what music doesn’t acknowledge its own inspirations and circumstances of its birth? No, all that really matters is that Matare has offered up another fantastic collection of songs, one that will make old hands like me smile at half-forgotten memories whilst giving younger listeners a fresh and fabulous soundtrack with which to dance into the potential of tomorrow..
And what a tomorrow it will be with music like this driving our feet across future dancefloors!
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