Search - Matt Elliott :: Mess We Made

Matt Elliot, the Loss Leader

Pablo Jiménez | Madrid, SPA | 05/28/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"People might think I exaggerate if I said this is one of the saddest and most depressive albums ever made. This new masterpiece by Matt Elliott might be dissapointing for those who loved the chaotic and vigorous brilliance of Little Lost Soul. Paraphasing Mogwai's new album, "Mess We Made" could also recieved this title: "Sad songs for patient people". Softer and slower than Third Eye Foundation. Beautiful and haunting as last Labradford recordings. Focusing on piano. Playing with Jazz. Experimental as ever. Matt Elliot is the greatest translator of human emotions in these times of decadence, failure, defeat and decline."

Junkmedia.org Review - For the willing

junkmedia | Los Angeles, CA | 05/27/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Whispers surrounding Matt Elliott's new album suggested that the break from his Third Eye Foundation persona also marked a new creative direction, a move away from the bleak, sometimes heavy-handed aesthetic of his TEF recordings. The signs were present on "Goddamnit You've Got to be Kind," the closing track of TEF's last chapter, Little Lost Soul; the trademark moans are overcome by ascendant strings and breakbeats. This was a promising hint at what Elliott might offer in his next incarnation.The rumors of a new, hopeful sound, if The Mess We Made is any indication, were wrong. Elliott's first effort under his own name, though it breaks stylistically from the drum 'n' bass-heavy production of TEF, is even more harrowing than even the darkest Foundation moments. And, given the cohesion of Mess, it's hard to argue with the man for playing to his strengths. Elliott has crafted a spare, haunting long-player that should please fans of his previous work. Though the dark tone becomes oppressive at times, The Mess We Made does come with some surprises. "Also Ran," one of the standout tracks, incorporates a staccato dance rhythm midway through a mix of backward vocals and lamenting keys, only to break back into the melancholy minimalism that runs through the entire record. Elliott conducts a choir of drunks in a round of barroom fatalism on "The Sinking Ship Song," and the finale, "Forty Days," has Elliott grafting a mariachi-like guitar performance to his signature atmospherics. Even a last gasp of TEF-style jungle cuts through the title track, almost directly at the album's midpoint (hopefully, Elliott will continue to use d 'n' b breaks throughout his career -- the man knows how to drop a beat).The abject despair of The Mess We Made can become tedious, and, more than most artists, Elliott depends on a listener who is willing to forgive him his lack of subtlety. The depressive tone is unrelenting, but that is what was captivating about the Third Eye Foundation, and what provides Elliott's first eponymous recording with its emotional backbone. Robert Albanese
Junkmedia.org Review"

One of my favorites

too_old_to_be_so_indie | Seattle, WA USA | 02/15/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"i don't think that words like "harrowing" and "depressing" necessarily fit the true spirit of this music. while i agree that matt elliott tends toward the dark side a bit, i don't think he's presenting bleakness as a representation of his inner feelings. i see him more as a master showman putting on a dark and dusty play with the help of an expert's tools pulled from his mysterious black bag of musical tricks. enjoy the spectacle, and don't take it on face value."