“Driving Just To Drive” Matt Maltese
Piano-driven indie and chamber pop. Fourth album from the prolific, 25-year-old British-Canadian singer-songwriter in just the past five years. Maturing artistry that builds on his earlier easygoing pop and examines deeper subjects around relationships and dealing with life’s anxieties. But his music and lyrics remain largely light and playful at times with a healthy dose of unassuming introspection and humor. Plenty of catchy melodies in this 11-song set. RIYL: Paul McCartney, Emitt Rhodes, Christian Lee Hutson or Charlie Hickey.
— Francis

Recommended: 1, 8, 3, 4, 5, 9, 11. FCCs on 12 and 13.

1. (3:13) Mother — Beautiful, crystalline piano ballad featuring Maltese’s fragile piano and soft, soaring vocals. Simple rhythm. Rich backing vocals. Strings. ****
2. (3:29) Irony Would Have It — Storytelling style. Skipping and at times syncopated piano and drums. Mumbled vocals down in the mix.
3. (3:39) Florence — Bouncy pop with an off-kilter, march-like rhythm. As close as Maltese gets to an anthem on this album. Soaring vocals, swelling orchestral accompaniment and piano runs. ***
4. (3:05) Mortician (Radio Edit) — Up-tempo, energetic pop integrating guitar riffs and horns into the melody, moving Maltese’s piano to the background. Fun track! ***
5. (3:35) Museum — Another bittersweet song. Mid-tempo with some bounce. Opens with repetitive plinking piano, then flows into a bigger soundscape. Horns in the lead break. Nice word pictures. ***
6. (3:48) Widows (Radio Edit) — Lilting, slow-burning ballad with a bit of a swing. Piano leads, but strummed guitar is prominent as well. Lyrics are raw, and work as both a love song and commentary on the world in recent times.
7. (2:32) Coward (feat. Biig Piig) — Jazzy and soulful, with tinkling piano and horns. Features Irish singer and rapper, Biig Piig (Jessica Smyth).
8. (3:33) Driving Just To Drive — Stately piano ballad. Soft, vulnerable vocals, building into the choruses. Full orchestration in the lead breaks. Underscores his central theme — that it’s important to do things with “no sense of an outcome, with no sense of self-imposed necessity.” ****
9. (3:15) Hello Black Dog — Poignant and personal ballad. Reminiscent of Beatles ballads from the band’s later years. ***
10. (3:26) Suspend Your Disbelief — Meandering dream pop, with guitar, piano and banjo. Builds into bigger choruses with soaring vocals.
11. (3:12) But Leaving Is — Simple and soft piano ballad closer. Pretty, with lovely, lofty vocals and strings in the choruses. **
12. (3:05) Mortician (Unedited) — Non-radio-safe version of Track 4. FCC: sh-t.
13. (3:48) Widows (Unedited) — Non-radio-safe version of Track 6. FCC: f-cking (4 times).