Water is the self recorded sophomore EP from local singer-songwriter Matty Rea. It’s been a long time coming but the wait is over, it’s finally here. Rea, a familiar and welcomed face around the city is well known for his ability to take a hit and put his own spin on it but on Water he sets out to prove that his talent stretches beyond that of a cover artist.
Opening the EP we have ‘Picture’ a performance made up of melodic acoustic guitar, powerful vocals, accompanied by emotive violin throughout that gives glimpse into what we can expect over the next 17 mins.
On title track ‘Water’, Rea strays away from the typical themes normally associated with male acoustic musicians – love, loss, broken relationships. Instead on ‘Water’ he ponders what life is about, using imagery to tell us of the elements that keep him inspired and motivated, “Water is my life.. water’s what keeps me alive.” Lyrically this track is a little weak and it lacks the magic to captivate me, but the rhythmic acoustic from beginning to end makes this mellow track a pleasurable listen.
Once more steering clear of the common themes in songwriting, Rea gained his inspiration for ‘Battlefield’ (a treat when performed live) from Lord Of The Rings, The Hobbit and his time spent living in New Zealand. Stronger lyrically and vocally than the previous track, ‘Battlefield’ exhibits Rea’s ability as a songwriter. Soft rhythmic percussion and an electric guitar solo are a welcome addition to an otherwise heavily acoustic offering whilst also allowing us an insight into the versatility Rea possesses.
As the saying goes, “keep the best for last” and that’s what Rea has done. Water wraps up on a high with ‘Ghost’, an upbeat track that really showcases Rea’s capability and versatility as a musician. On Ghost Rea really delivers with an energetic riff, thumping percussion, a bluesy melody and harmonising vocals to top it off. It’s an impressive and electrifying end to an overall significant effort, an EP not without it’s flaws but full of promise.
◀ STANDOUT ⁞ Ghost ▶
◀ SOUNDS LIKE ⁞ Jason Mraz | James Bay ▶
