Matthew Dear - Bunny

Matthew Dear is a Texas-based DJ and Techno producer, who since the early 2000's has become a darling of these genres.  A lot of people rave about his very minimal style and Pop tendencies.  But when it comes to his 2003 debut "Leave Luck to Heaven", I simply don't get the hype at all.  There are some good beats and the occasional catchy hook.  But from an Electronic artist point of view, I literally feel like there are dozens of more DJ's at the time that we're doing much more interesting things. But Mattew Dear's next album "Backstroke" was much more interesting to me.  Here, Matthew, for the most part, drifted away from vocals and focused so much more on the atmosphere.  The result was often hypnotic and dealt with some really fantastic grooves.  And if you know me, you'll know these genres are tough for me.  But this was a solid work.  Now, with 2007's "Asa Breed" Matthew Dear really started to really catch my attention.  Mattew here reverted to his more lyrical approach, but this time was much punchier and more animated.  These weren't just dancefloor anthems, these were sometimes political and tongue in cheek.  Tracks like "Pom Pom" and "Deserter" almost had an LCD Soundsystem vibe, but most importantly this album has personality.  and THAT was special.  Matthew returned in 2010 with "Black City", an album which a ton of the same elements carried over.  There were snarky lyrics, some Dance Punk elements, some Beck worship and all sorts of sleaze.  But on top of that, there were some legitimately grimy, funky numbers and some absolutely brilliant production.  It was shocking that this was the same DJ that showed up on the scene in the early 2000's.  Matthew's next work, 2012's "Beams", I'm a little on the fence on.  As far as the beats and atmosphere go, this is actually a really solid album still.  As a matter of fact, there may be some of my favorite of Matthew's beats ever.  However vocally, once again I do feel like Matthew was running out of ideas sadly.  But oh boy, oh boy oh boy OH BOY.  These new singles from Matthew are by far some of his worst to date.  Like, these are REALLY bad. Let's chat about it, my friends.

This album starts off with “Bunny’s Dream”, and this is certainly a very strange intro.  We get these very ambient synths and some pretty muffled vocals from Matthew.  But while a lot of these teaser tracks underwhelmed me, this is actually a pretty darn good intro.  I really do love how spacious this one is, and just how chilly the atmosphere is on this one.  Like, this track is a borderline cinematic, ambient Techno track that’s pretty stunning.  Matthew’s vocals when they eventually pop in aren’t anything too much to write home about, but it’s never really been about that with Matthew.  This is just a very cold, hypnotizing opener that really brings Matthew’s sound up to date.  Plus, there’s a whole lot of mystery to this one.  If we got this for 14 tunes, I would be happy.  But with “Calling” things start to fall apart quick. Like I said, Matthew’s vocals for me have always been alright, but not the star.  But here, that great atmosphere is absolutely 100% out the window, and in its place we get this beat that sounds like it was thrown together on a smartphone.  And Matthew’s vocals?  This is just plain bad.  He’s got this incredibly stupid inflection here that just makes him sound so goofy.  Sure, some of the later production blasts are actually pretty nice.  But there is absolutely nothing about this I ever want to come back to.  “Can You Rush Them” isn’t necessarily the greatest evil here.  At least this has a beat that I can identify with and some very hypnotizing vocals from Matthew, even if they are simple.  I have to admit, I actually do really like the sort of Industrial vibe to this.  But like, what happened to that great sound that this album started with?   I do like some of the political undertones to this one, and just how urgent this comes off.  But so far, this just doesn’t sound to be a Matthew Dear album.  But like I said, this is a very bulky, intense track that just comes off in your face.  Because when I get tracks like “Echo”, I can’t help but scratch my head.  The atmosphere is chilly and all.  But then we get this absolutely asinine vocal line from Matthew that just ends up taking so much away from this.  There isn't anything snarky or interesting, this just doesn’t do anything for me at all.  It’s times like this that I remember why Electronic music is in the hole that it’s in.  But Matthew does have a few tricks up his sleeve.  “Modafinil Blues” I can absolutely get to.  I love the warped, Icy beats here and for a change Mathews vocals.  This is just so catchy, so haunting, and at the very east Matthew seems to have a starting idea and some ending ones too.  The fuck and grooves are otherworldly, and I absolutely love the synths that pop in.  Not to mention, the production here is slick man, which is just so important in this genre.  This is just a really great tune.

But for every track that really works, I feel like too many here just put me on the fence.  Now, I’ll be honest, I actually do like the bluesy and dreary vibes here.  It ends up really working nicely with the low-key grooves and funk of these beats, and I just love how nocturnal this is.  Now, while I do love the vocals here and just how dreary they get at times, they are a little simple and straightforward.  But if that’s all I have to complain about, this isn’t that bad.  “Horses” for a change though, actually has a lot of builds up in this intro.  But all of these vocals with heavy vocal effect are starting to blend together and come off as goofy. But I actually don’t mind elements of this track, like some of the live instrumentation which ends up not coming off nearly as bad as it should.  But as this one goes on, I have less and less nice things to say.  There’s some really awkward Daft Punk worship that isn’t good at all, and this just doesn’t go anywhere.  Hell, if it wasn’t for Tegan and Sara who end up sounding fantastic here, this track would literally have nothing to it.  Like, I almost feel like they should have taken lead vocal duties.  Because every production trick in the world isn’t saving this one.  On the other hand, “Moving Man” actually has some really experimental and genuinely weird qualities to it.  Like, I almost feel like I’ve tuned into a Neon Indian album.  We have some genuinely great samples, some big beats, and for once Matthew really sounds like he has his head straight.  This is such a simple track from him.  But with this very straightforward groove and Matthew’s more simple vocal performance, this works.  Like I’m actually up and grooving, which I haven’t been able to say in quite a few tracks.  And while “Bunny’s Interlude” isn’t much more than an interlude, I actually really love the very chilly atmosphere and just how suffocating this one is.  Moments like this actually make this album for me, and I continue to love the mystery of some of these tracks.  “Duke of Dens” however continues to prove that when Matthew just goes for the type of track he’s done for years, he can come through in a big way.  I just love how big and lumbering this track is.  It’s a pretty heavy beat, and as far as a groove goes, this is the best of the bunch.  Like, this track is massive, and a big testament to what happens when Matthew isn’t messing around.  And all of this is done with no vocals, nice work. 

This album started off slow, but I’m impressed with just how much Matthew has turned this album around.  Also, I have no idea who turned on the funk, but I’m glad he/she did.  This track is absolutely the freakish, personality dripping banger I’ve wanted to hear.  It’s got a very slick groove, and Matthew just sounds like a total sleaze in the best way.  Like, if you’re looking for some sort of Progressive Pop tune that’s pushing boundaries, this isn’t it.  But this is genuinely fun and quirky.  “Kiss Me Forever”, really did catch me off guard.  Even in this album’s best moments, it’s been a very hulking, meaty album.  But this one is on the lighter, sweeter side.  But while I do like the very blissful atmosphere, I feel like Matthew’s vocals almost come off bloated.  Like, this isn’t even hip or interesting, this is just obnoxious.  I would even go as far as to say a lot of his vocals just end up taking away from this atmosphere.  “Kiss Me Forever” has potential, but it ends up just being clunky.  But in long list of very chilly, cold dance tunes, “Bad Ones” is strangely warm.  Tegan and Sara once again sound great.  It’s so funny when they usually go for this more Dance style, it’s usually underwhelming.  But with Matthew taking on the beat here, this comes off as classy.  I do however feel like this one is underwritten.  Even Matthew when he rolls in just sounds so dangerous and sleek, I actually really love this.  If this wasn’t so one-dimensional, this could have gone somewhere.  And sadly, Matthew really doesn’t round this album off very well.  He could have very easily put out a big, funky tune and I would be totally happy.  But with “Before I Go” we get this freakish, throwback dance track that just comes off weird.  Like, there are great elements to this, like the haunting synths and the genuinely old-school vibe.  But everything else here just comes off as forced sadly. 

Rating: 7.6/10

Give A Listen To: “Bunny’s Dream”, “Modafinil Blues”, “Moving Man”, “Duke of Dens”

Least Favorite Track: “Echo”

Genre: Electronic / Dance

Overall Thoughts:  This album for Matthew starts off incredibly slow, painfully slow even.  The tracks on the first half of this album just seem so gimmicky, like Matthew is trying just way too hard.  That alone is depressing.  But when Matthew drops the gimmicks and comes through with much funkier and groovier material this really isn’t that bad of an album.  Like, this is a long album.  If Matthew trimmed the fat, this would be a genuinely solid album.