Matt Elliott - The Broken Man

Matt Elliott - The Broken Man (Ici D'ailleurs...)

This time I am reviewing artist Matt Elliott's new release The Broken Man. Matt Elliott is from Bristol and has released loads of records and CDs under both his own name and as Third Eye Foundation and as a member of other bands but this is the first time I have ever heard him and he is very good. I am reviewing this record at home again because of my accident but I am getting better so hope to get back to The Gate soon; my legs still ache but I can walk a few steps now. I've had lots of visitors too because it was my birthday so that has been nice - I'm 68 now which is alright but I am starting to feel a bit old.

            But back to the music which starts of with a song called Oh, How We Fell which is very interesting and a good song to listen to. The song starts off with acoustic guitar which sounds very like spanish flamenco guitar to me - It is very soft music and this is a bit of a change from the records I have reviewed recently because they have been very noisy and this record is more quiet and peaceful. After quite a while (it's a long song) of this lovely guitar Matt starts to sing and he has a very nice voice which goes with the guitar very well and reminds me a bit of american country and western and folk music - I like his way of singing very much though it is a bit hard to make out the words at times but that's okay and I think if I listen over a few times I'll be able to make out what he's singing There are some violins which come in whilst Matt is singing and a bit later a choir starts singing and sounds a bit like a choir would if somebody had died. I suppose it is quite a sad sounding song and so are all of the songs on this record but they are still very nice to listen to because they make me feel peaceful.

           The next song is called Please Please Please and starts off with more of the lovely guitar and then lots of voices start up groaning a bit like Zombies in a horror film. It is a very short song with no words in it but I like that it's just a short groany song.

            Dust, Flesh and Bones is the next up and is about what it feels like to be alone so it is another sad song because sometimes it isn't very nice being on your own. I don't mind being on my own that much though because I just get on with listening to my music and watching my DVDs and videos and when I'm on my own I can do as I like. I like to have my friends around me too though especially Geoff, Ray, Ashley and Nick who are my best friends though I have loads of others and I wouldn't want to be without them.

         Next is How to Kill a Rose which is another short instrumental with groaning in it but not as much as on the last one and after this is a song called If Anyone Tells Me "It's Better to Have Loved and Lost Than to Never Have Loved at All" I Will Stab Them in the Face which is a very long song title and a bit funny. I've never been in love with anyone so I don't know what it's like but I wish I had of had a girlfriend even if i did split up with her because I'm sure I would've got over it quick enough. It's a bit of a shame that i've never had a girlfriend as that would've been nice, i'd have liked to have gone out with Jayne Mansfield or Diana Dors or someone like that but I don't think I'd find someone like that now I'm 68. On this song the music is a bit different because rather than guitar the main instrument is piano though there is quite a bit of violin in it and the odd church bell as well. After about five minutes of this music (this is another long song) Matt starts singing for a bit but there is not much singing on this one and it is mainly just an instrumental track. I liked this one as it reminded me a bit of the classical music they played in the Royal Albert Hall when I went there once for a Christmas concert a couple of years back.

         After this very long piano song it goes back to a short song played on guitar called This is For... There is a very nice bit of fast guitar playing with more groany singing on this one which reminded me of those russian dancers that spin on their feet - I like this type of dancing very much and would love to be able to do it.

        The last song is called The Pain That is Yet to Come and it sounds a bit like a love song because it sounds like he is singing to a girl. I guess though because it's called The Pain That is Yet to Come that it might be about worrying about a relationship breaking up. I think a lot of the songs on this record might be about break-ups so maybe Matt Elliot is worried about his own relationship or has just broken up with someone. If this is true then I feel sorry for him and wish him the best of luck.

         Overall I thought this record to be very sad but very good to listen to because the music on it was very well played and nice and relaxing so it will be nice to listen to late at night when I'm winding down a bit. I would give this record 10 out of 10.

Note from The Gate: Thanks to Ed from Dense.de for providing us with the CD to review.