STACK #137 Mar 2016

FEATURE MUSIC

all the space behind it and create this drag.’” Corby’s courage also led to a change in pitch – or rather, an embracing of his natural range. Both Oh Oh Oh and Wrong Man display this deep voice that is a little gobsmacking to hear after the whoops of 2012’s Brother . Corby says as a child he excelled at singing (“It was the one thing that I really cared about”), and was trained by an opera vocalist. “I’ve always been a really low singer as a matter of fact, but was insecure about how high I could sing,” he explains. “So I continually pushed it, in order to write a ‘good’ song. I thought for it to be good, and for me to be operating at a really high capacity, I had to sing up high, to prove myself. Which is stupid. It’s just an ego thing that I’m getting over. But the

goes unheard. I wanted to get to a point where I could sit down and go [mimicking drums]: ‘chak-ah-dff-dff- kah -ah-chak-ah’, and that’s sweet, I can play that, I can put that down. It’s instantaneous, almost a flow of consciousness.” Of all the instruments he learned to play, you’d have guessed the flute would be the most difficult – you’ve got to get your mouth into that spout shape, and for a guitarist, a wind instrument must be a challenge. “Well, being a singer – [voice] is a wind instrument, in a strange way,” he says. “You already know half the dynamic process of pushing out tones, you just have to find a way to get the tone to work. But I think the drums have been the most interesting thing for me. I’ve just completely

Knife Edge A great place to start. The sauntering bass and organ riff is inspired, and Corby’s relentlessly sensual, gentle vocals march through lyrics about feeling embarrassed and angry at yourself in the presence of a potential lover. We Could Be Friends There’s a Prince-like vocal kaleidoscope towards the end of this one with amazing jazz harmonies. between the hammers and the strings in “the oldest piano in the world” on this track, which Corby bought for $1000 and says doesn’t stay in tune for more than a day. He recorded the verses while holed up in Berry, NSW, but the chorus was laid down at Melbourne’s Sing Sing studio with four other musicians from his band. Good To Be Alone Each meticulous note of the electric guitar has its own character on this beauty, which suggests the beginning of Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah . Monday You might have heard that this one is comprised entirely of sounds Corby is making with his own mouth and body – impressive. Why Dream You can hear the space

moment that you do, you’re liberated and it’s kind of nice.” These personal insights of Corby's reflect off a little story he tells towards the end of our conversation, about the first time he ever recorded himself

fallen in love with them.” The drums and percussion do constitute a gorgeous component of the record; on We Could Be Friends , Corby uses little crushed rolls and a crisp

I thought for [ a song ] to be good... I had to sing up high, to prove myself

MUSIC

hi-hat, leaving gaps in the beat in odd places.

singing. He was ten years old, and did a version of Amazing Grace on an eight-

“It’s so left and right brain at the same time,” he says. This new-found confidence with

track he bought with his dad. “I still listen to it to this day, and I tear up in a weird way! Because it’s like, ‘Aw man, I was so good back then.’ As my voice broke, it became a bit of a problem. But then you’re given a new voice. Once you do, you have a whole new set of rules, and a whole new way of manipulating it. It’s the weirdest thing.”

instrumentation led him to question some of the dictums he’d long held for himself when it came to his voice. Particularly on the fantastic Knife Edge , it’s clear he’s become far more confident with falling back on the beat, just like those rubato-happy jazz singers. The possibility was opened up to him through his decade-long friendship with alt-pop singer Jarryd James. “He’s a really good buddy of mine, we used to live together actually, he’s a mad dog,” Corby chuckles. “He has always sung behind the beat, and I never understood it because I’m so on the beat, in the way that I feel like that’s how you drive a song. Once I started playing all the other instruments I was like, ‘Oh cool, I can do that Jarryd method; I know where the tempo is and I can just fill in

Telluric by Matt Corby is out March 11 via Universal.

Long-time Corby fan and recently upgraded Padawan in the STACK office, Alesha Kolbe, lends her opinion on Telluric :

An album that is very much intended for listening to on your day bed, probably on the balcony of your Great Ocean Road-side holiday house, in Lorne or its surrounding suburbs. Put on your noise-cancelling headphones and herald the return of the assuaging Aussie legend, with new tracks like Monday  and Sooth Lady Wine,  to return you to the comfy enfold of his muscly hipster arms.

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