Mat Bastard – Loov (2017) [Qobuz FLAC 24bit/44,1kHz]

The former lead singer of defunct award-winning French Rock band Skip The Use, Mat Bastard ventures out into solo waters on LOOV, the name of this debut album and the band. The songs are more personal than anything Bastard has done in the past and convey the strength of his convictions.

Mat Bastard (Mathieu-Emmanuel Monnaert) has been the leader of french rock band Skip The Use, which popularity has been growing during the 2010’s, until the band’s breakup announcement by the end of 2016. With Shaka Ponk, they were the two bands that brought rock back to the mainstream radios or TV channels in France.

From the first seconds of his new solo release, you know that this record is going to be great, as opener Wild sets the tone: an energetic rock sound, accompanied by Mat’s recognizable voice, punk influences and a sense of melody that’s undeniable. Throughout his career, Bastard has shown us that he was a true music lover, and this album is a perfect addition in this way. It’s hard to spot major flaws in this 14 pieces release, but on the contrary, standout tracks are quite many. Stand As One, with its blending of English and French, its message of love and this infectious chorus, is set to become at least a fan favorite during Bastard’s live shows. But honestly, a good handful of other songs have this potential too. Offspring-esque Stay Close To Me is going to be a perfect show closer -as Bastard Song, Skip The Use’s ending song back when the band was active- and Grave of Broken Dreams‘ vibe will make you feel like it’s summer all year long ! Rosemary sounds like it’s been written by Panic! At The Disco’s Brendon Urie’s punk doppelganger, and Vivre Mieux is a proud descendent of French punk anthems, with this incendiary rhythm and a middle finger sung to everyone who wants to control us. Speaking of us, unity is a lyrical theme that you can find throughout the record and Bastard’s inclusive message, combined with the positivity that emanates from these compositions, and this is something that’s definitely needed right now. You’ll also find some more radio-friendly songs (first single More Than Friends, the beautiful electro-rock Honestly, and the solar English pop-influenced No Remedy), but these tracks are as good as all the others, and that’s what’s the strength of this record. Mat Bastard does it all, and he does it incredibly good.

Tracklist:
01 – Wild
02 – Shift The Control
03 – Grave Of Broken Dreams
04 – Rosemary
05 – Honestly
06 – More Than Friends [feat. A-Vox]07 – Dark Light
08 – Vivre mieux
09 – Shout
10 – Stand As One
11 – Girls
12 – No Remedy
13 – Stay Close To Me
14 – Tamachute

Download:

mqs.link_MatBastardLv2017Qbuz24441.rar

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