Digging for Something with Matt Bull of Recent and Decent
Overlooked, underrated, over-hated or regionally specific gems.
I’m reaching out and asking writers, band members and music curators to tip us all off to their favourite underrated albums, overlooked or unfairly obscure gems… even the downright over-hated. Hopefully it’s another fun way for you to find some new-to-you music to love.
Stoked to say that joining me today is Matt Bull of the terrific Recent and Decent. If you’re into hearing about new and notable releases across a variety of genres from a number of sources, this is your ticket:
Not too long ago, I got to submit some of my favourite recent and decent tracks for their on-going series, which you can check out right here:
And now, let’s get to their album recommendations:
Guillemots - Through the Windowpane (2006)
Genres: Chamber Pop, Art Pop, Indie Pop, Progressive Pop
Matt says:
I met someone in my first year of Uni who told me that Guillemots was his favourite band and that I should see them live. Well, I did, and they soon became my favourite band.
I listened to this album on repeat, like people did in those days. It held a magic I couldn’t quite put my finger on at the time. I think it was the way it explored love. It presented love as joyful, unashamed, almost-childlike, sometimes painful, always tremendous. The album ends with “São Paulo”, a song that lead singer Fyfe Dangerfield calls a love song, and to this day is one of the best songs I have ever heard.
At the time (2006) there was a lot of jangly indie pop - some of which I was more than happy to consume because it provided a backdrop to my energetic, optimistic age. Now I’m older and grumpier, big indie bangers don’t really do it for me anymore but Guillemots will always hold a special place in my heart. In its message and in its poetry, it is timeless. Plus, I fancied the double-bass player, Aristazabel, big-time.
Dan says:
Based on Matt’s description above and the genre tags via Rate Your Music, I had an idea of what to expect here but I was also happy that this bucked expectations. The sub-tag of Progressive Pop really makes sense, and I was happy to hear this isn’t just your expected rambunctious jangly indie of the era but has a lot of progressive elements to it. Probably 4 or 5 bands came to mind when listening to this at different times, but none that would make sense as a direct comparison to the album as a whole. Which makes sense to me.
Fionn Regan - The End of History (2006)
Genres: Contemporary Folk, Singer-Songwriter, Indie Folk, Celtic Folk Music, Chamber Folk
Matt says:
Singer song-writers became a big part of what I listened to in my late teens, having recently started playing an acoustic guitar and wanting to be as brooding and as handsome as Damien Rice, Villagers, Liam Frost, Micah P. Hinson, Glen Hansard, Laura Marling, Willy Mason… they all seemed so wise despite their youth. I was jealous, really. Nowadays, acoustic folk artists get away with 4 chords and a generic message about sadness or happiness. Back in my day (I know I sound old but I’m sure the acoustic musicians 15 years ago were much better) these artists would be full of despair, either in pain or in search of a more meaningful identity.
The End of History by Fionn Regan was one of my favourites. The lyrics, firstly, were wonderful. I didn’t really know what any of the songs were about but I would sing out the lyrics with such conviction that it would look like I did. Secondly, the guitar-playing was mystifying. If you listen to “Hunters Map” or “Hey Rabbit”, for instance, he somehow plays a bass line and main part simultaneously. He would do all this whilst singing along with a completely different rhythm, which I found deeply impressive. Thirdly, his voice was just lovely. And by that, of course, I mean Irish.
Dan says:
Similarly, I listened to a lot of singer-songwriter stuff in my 20s which over time has faded into the background. Not sure why, though there’s something to be written about how in my aging I’m reaching more and more for the sounds of my youth - buzzy poppy punky stuff. But once in a while when the mood strikes, this kind of thing just hits.
Tunng - Good Arrows (2007)
Genres: Folktronica, Indie Pop, Indie Folk, Contemporary Folk
Matt says:
By the time Tunng had released this album in 2007, most of my understanding of what experimental pop could be came from Athlete’s debut Vehicles and Animals, which I listened to about 5000 times. But when I heard this, it showed how infinitely creative music can be when more electronics are brought in. I didn’t know much about Múm or Caribou at the time, so for me, this was profoundly new and exciting. It was weird and wonderful, playful and brave. I never would have expected hearing a song which only had one lyric, “Spoon”, for instance. It pushed boundaries and, rather astonishingly, lead singer Mike Lindsay continues to push boundaries to this day.
Dan says:
This reminds me of a more twee version of The Beta Band to some degree, though Matt’s reference to Múm also makes a lot of sense. Feel like there might even be a pinch of Gentle Giant hiding in the corners of their songs too.
The Music - The Music (2002)
Genres: Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Neo-Psychedelia, Dance-Punk, Alternative Dance
Matt says:
The song I heard of theirs was a song called “Karma”, from their first EP. I loved it enough that I knew I had to get their self-titled debut album from the now non-existent Andy’s Records, Bury St. Edmunds, back in 2002.
My friends didn’t like it because they weren’t as cool as me. But what they didn’t understand was the enraptured and transformative state of mind this music could bring upon a listener. Every song was a story and, with an almost formulaic accuracy, would crescendo at just the right moment. In fact, the more patient you were, the more rewarding the experience. The songs that started off slower, like “Turn Out the Light”, would end with the most glorious of rock instrumentals. It really was like nothing I had ever heard. To this day, I still haven’t heard anything like it. Robert Harvey’s northern, high pitched wailing still sends shivers through my ear canals, right in the pit of my stomach.
Dan says:
This album has been on my radar ever since it came out, because in High School circa-2002 my friends were voracious readers of then-Pitchfork Media and I remember this album getting a poor review (though in hindsight they are pretty positive about a number of songs) and there being a lot of laughing about the audacity of a band calling themselves “The Music.” To me this sounds a little bit like a band that isn’t quite sure where they want to go - are they The Stone Roses by way of Zeppelin? Or do they want to channel Kasabian via The Rapture meets The Vines? Sometimes, like on “Disco”, their guitars almost sound like De-Loused era The Mars Volta.
I will say, this kind of thing ages very interestingly and my favourite song here is the not-that-much-of-a-song “The Dance”, which gets by on blurred guitar atmospherics and its bass-driven vibes alone. The band would go on to work with Orbital’s Paul Hartnoll, which gives me a sense that they maybe had more of an identity as their releases started to pile up.
Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me (2010)
Genres: Chamber Folk, Singer-Songwriter, Progressive Folk
Matt says:
In choosing my final album, I could have chosen so many that I loved but that most people will already know about. I thought about including albums by Jamie T, The National, Wilco, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Strokes, Polyphonic Spree, Bright Eyes etc. But I’ve decided to go for Joanna Newsom’s triple album, Have One on Me. In terms of originality, beauty and ambition, it was stratospheric.
Joanna Newsom already sets herself apart from the crowd, playing piano and harp, but her voice, her song length, and the way she plays around with lyrics, make her incredibly unique. Her songs were like fairytales - in fact she doesn’t really have choruses in any of her songs. They are songs to listen to, to relate to, to be inspired by. There is pain and heartache but she offers deft lightness and relief too. Given that the three albums total over 2 hours, it is quite miraculous that she manages to grasp your attention. Or she did mine, anyway. In fact, she inspired me and my wife so much that we named our daughter after one of her songs. We wanted our daughter’s name to encapsulate the quirkiness, playfulness and ambition that Newsom’s music embodies.
Dan says:
I missed out a bit on Joanna Newsom and the hype around their work in the 2000s. Whenever I come across their work though, it reminds me I need to carve out some time and do a real solid deep dive. For now, I will say that when I do hear bits and pieces of their output, I always appreciate and admire it.
That’s it, that’s all. Be excellent to one other.