Matt Berry: Heard Noises Album Review and Insights

Heard Noises is the eighth studio album by Matt Berry to be released on Acid Jazz Records and the follow up to 2021’s The Blue Elephant, which hi-fi+ described as ‘a collection of heady and disorienting psychedelic songs and instrumentals that you’d be forgiven for thinking is the soundtrack to some weird, late ‘60s / early ‘70s cult art-house film.’

Here, artistic polymath Berry has embraced a looser, more West Coast psych feel than the vintage British sounds, freakbeat and acid rock he’s explored before. But he’s hasn’t neglected his love for folk horror and eerie melodies, either.

Atmospheric opener, ‘Why On Fire?’ is exotic, funky and unsettling – strummed acoustic guitar and light piano give way to a snaking rhythm and slightly sinister, chanting backing vocals.

Speaking about the new record, Berry, who turned 50 while he was making it, said: “This is my tenth album, or whatever it is. It’s who I am now, and unlike a lot of my albums in the past, it’s reflecting personal things.”

One of the more personal songs is also one of the highlights – the gorgeous and jangly ‘60s psych-pop of ‘Silver Rings,’ on which he sings: ‘I put my things in a box and mail them back to me – my whole life was with you, now it’s over don’t you see.’

“I wanted that song to sound like it was being recorded live on The Ed Sullivan Show, with a band that someone like Simon & Garfunkel would use,” he says. “Like, a bloke who had been a session musician since the early 1950s being told to play Byrds-style, 12-string pop.”

First single, ‘I Gotta Limit’, is great fun – a groovy and upbeat duet with Kitty Liv (Kitty, Daisy & Lewis) that’s part Northern Soul and part psych aand draws on some Sly Stone. “It was written a couple of years ago as a to and fro, but I wasn’t going to put it on an album unless I found someone who could do it justice and make me disappear almost,” says Berry of the track. “And that’s what she’s done. It’s f***ing brilliant – she’s totally transformed that song. Finally, I can put it on an album.”

One of the other special guests is Berry’s mum, who appears as part of the ‘S Club 70 Choir’ on several tracks, including ‘I Entered As I Came’ – a bewitching psychedelic folk ballad that has a spoken word part by Poker Face and Russian Doll actor, Natasha Lyonne, with her distinctive, raspy voice.

The joyous ‘Sky High’ has sci-fi synths, twangy ‘60s guitar and jazzy saxophone, the trippy and spacey ‘Wedding Photo Stranger’ lopes along on a killer funk bassline, while ‘There Are Monsters’ is a riot – opening with chunky, ‘60s power-pop guitar chords, it morphs into a groove-driven, er, monster of a tune, with funky organ, electric piano, otherworldly sounds, and psych-rock guitar.

Berry recorded most of the album himself, using his treasure trove of vintage gear. He played almost all the instruments: guitars, bass and a variety of keyboards. The drums were taken care of by his long-time collaborator, Craig Blundell.

For Heard Noises, Berry didn’t have a manifesto – he says his approach was: ‘F*** it! I’m just going to do a bunch of things that I’m into.’

It shows – it’s a great and eclectic record that’s colourful, strange, intriguing, intoxicating and always entertaining – a mind-blowing trip into his wonderfully weird world.

“You never know where you are as a musician because you always just want to try something better. That’s all that I’m ever doing,” he says.

“I don’t ever want to shut any doors for myself. I don’t know what I’m going to be interested in this time next year. Where I’m at right now is where this album’s at.”

The making of the album also coincided with the end of the TV show, What We Do In The Shadows, in which Berry has played vampire, Laszlo Cravensworth, since 2019.

To mark the occasion, he’s included the character’s fangs in the artwork on the rear of the album – it’s fitting, as on Heard Noises there’s plenty for his fans, as well as new listeners, to get their teeth into.