Getmusic

It’s only been four years since Matt Corby was the teen on Australian Idol that came in a tidy second to the winner, Natalie Gauci. Of course, a lot has happened since then. Corby has released a couple of critically acclaimed EPs and has left behind his teens for a more mature appearance and sound.

“Into The Flame” is Corby’s third release, a four track EP containing songs with no general theme or idea linking them. Instead, it’s all about throwing caution to the wind and getting out and writing good songs for their own sake. The fact that they’re highly personal and a document of events that have occurred in Corby’s life over the past year means that they can play like a diary, a confessional, or simply as though Matt was sharing a drink with his mates.

This EP features dark and personal songs meaning comparisons to a young Jeff Buckley seem appropriate. Corby was also listening to artists like Otis Redding, Dusty Springfield and Buddy Guy as he wrote and recorded, so the music reflects this. As a whole it is a lot more dramatic, soulful and heartfelt than his previous works.

Single ‘Brother’ begins with some whoops and soft acoustic music before building into catchy piano pop with hints of Jinja Safari. ‘Souls A’Fire’ is similarly upbeat, but is all about melody, distorted guitar and organ. At times it seems to sit in between a country singer’s rambling territory and at other moments is reminiscent of Eric Clapton. ‘Big Eyes’ completes the set with a sublime duet featuring Bree Tranter.

Corby recently rekindled his love of music with a series of garden parties to launch ‘Brother’. The spirit of the proceedings was all about sharing music and bringing people together. And “Into the Flame” looks set to draw in fans like a moth to a flame.

Reviewed by: Frances Davies