Matty Marz’ album dandy kicks off in the best possible way – dirtbag is a brilliant song, unique and interesting, melodic and memorable at the same time; introducing the artist and his approach to creativity in a bold, fresh way.
Musically the album’s opener seems to fuse a little of the electronic rock world with something much more spacious, partly hip-hop-like on occasion, partly folk or indie-pop inspired. There’s character to everything about it, not just the vocal tone and delivery – the set-up, the instrumentation, the ideas. The whole thing feels quirky but without being unlistenable – far from it. Matty Marz sings well, he performs with heart and soul – there’s passion to every moment, even a little theatrical drama, and there are multiple layers of colour and expression that represent the song’s underlying concept and indeed the artist’s perspective on life in a beautiful way.
What makes dirtbag work so well is that despite its unique and unusual qualities – the fusion of genres, the topic, the performance (and it is a performance, not merely a read-through of some lyrics) – what really makes it strike hard is that the hook, the central focus of the songwriting, is easily recognisable and quite addictive to listen to. There’s an appealing quality to that line, and the distortion and attitude with which it’s presented makes it all the more attractive as a moment of togetherness and mass outcast connection.
Elsewhere on the album Marz pours so much eclecticism and artistry into the project. His voice is great, his ideas range from the deeply personal to the purely human, and always the words deal with honesty and genuine emotion. There’s beauty in all of it, and there are as many moments of delicacy as there are of those that hit a little harder – though always the vibe is generally smooth and easy to let fill the room. stay is a strong example of the former, but without a doubt – make your way through the entire album and you won’t be disappointed. There’s plenty of room for this level of creativity and professionalism combined in today’s music world.
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