Matt Maltese's Melancholy Dream,"Madhouse"

Madhouse the six songs from British singer songwriter, Matt Maltese, bear grim but wistfully romantic feelings. In a familiar manor, Maltese creates a rainy mood, in a sense, with his soft harmonies and piano ballads. We’ll be going track-by-track analyzing the collective genius behind Madhouse.

Album Art: Sam Hiscox and Andy Renton

Track one, “little person”

“little person” expresses feeling small, alone, and unheard until someone comes along and fills the void created, referring to, “...just a little person one person in a sea, of many little people who are not aware of me.” Through the outro comes a quick turnaround with, “...maybe somewhere far away I'll meet a second little person...” again going back to the wistful, hopeful theme the EP carries, a constant longing for wanting to be loved carried out gracefully through a soft piano serenade.

Track two, “queen bee”

“And you better find your one, it helps your life expectancy and all...” Queen bee raises the spirit in a pleasant love song filled with whimsical guitar riffs and melodies, one in which Maltese explains “You could be my queen bee I will love you endlessly,” this song is so lovely in the simplest of ways.

Photo Credits: Andy Renton

Track three, “hi”

Another gentle love song with angelic harmonies and tearful lyrics. Fans compare “hi” to “Human Remains” or “Curl up and Die” off of the 2019 release from Matt titled "Krystal," an accurate comparison might I add. In light of comparisons, the song’s chorus are filled with such, including, “I wanna be the French to your fry,” and “I wanna be the cat by your side.”

Track four, “madhouse”

The upbeat addition to this Ep through the title track, “madhouse,” has a certain groove that makes you want to dance. The energy on this track is definitely higher than that of the surrounding tracks. The incorporation of fun synths in the song boost the overall danceability of the song.

Photo Credits: Sammie Yochelson

Track five, “leather wearing AA”

“Leather wearing alcoholic angel” a slightly newer sound for Matt, yet still keeping his signature ballad style. With a longing theme similar to “hi” on this track, accompanied by strong vocals and lyrics, this song speaks for itself.

Track six, “sad dream”

Opposing the rest of the EP, “sad dream” brings a break up into the picture things like, “When the pharmacist asked if we were still friends, I smiled an awkward smile and said “It’s quite complex,” A song with sounds similar to “Tokyo” off of "Krystal," “sad dream” is among Maltese’s more cheery songs, but is contrasted by the devastating lyrics.

Photo Credits: Sammie Yochelson

Madhouse is one worth listening to. As a whole, the EP is beautiful and is some off Matt’s best work as an artist, an overall 8.5/10.